


The Legend of Zelda: Linked Together

by HylianHarmony



Series: Cross-Links [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety, Brotherly Kid and Link, Counterparts - Freeform, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Depressed Child, Fantasy, Fi is Captain Obvious, Gen, Humorous moments, Lokomo, Magic usage, Midna is Midna, PTSD, Princess Zelda tries her best, Reincarnation, Tetra is stubborn, The Great Sea, The Realms/New Hyrule, Young Anjean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2019-08-22 21:30:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 286,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16605824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HylianHarmony/pseuds/HylianHarmony
Summary: It's a desperate race to preserve two worlds. Are our heroes up to the challenge? Yes. (Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: The Alternate Link.)





	1. Accepting Denial

The routine hum of Hyrule Castle Town was the same as it had always been. People shouted to announce their wares to others who were usually too engulfed in their own personal missions to take the time to listen. It was all about which apples were the sweetest, which flowers possessed the most pleasant scents, which bread was the most lovingly prepared, and which stalls boasted the best deals. The desperate voices of the less popular stall owners, who were notorious for selling many odds and ends that only the craftiest of people could find a use for, was simply another background noise to be ignored. Unless, that is, you happened to be a traveler. Then the items for sale seemed appealing, if not terribly necessary. Anything to take your hard earned money. That was how the main town of Hyrule functioned. It  _was_  a market after all. If there wasn't any attraction to waste money on, it would be very disappointing.

Even those who didn't normally make many profits, such as beggars and little kids seeking a rupee or two to spend on some frivolous thing their parents wouldn't purchase for them, were content in the day to day bustle of the town. The performing troupe, however, expressed the most fidelity despite rarely making any money of their own. Their music wasn't terrible enough to cause people to cringe and shield their ears from the sound, but it wasn't brilliant enough to entice people to listen either. The performers were stuck in this boring medium,and yet, they seemed happy to do what they did. Whether that was true or not, no one knew because no one had ever bothered to ask.

As for the inhabitants of Castle Town, they were generally normal people. Every town has an oddball or two, and Hyrule Castle Town is no exception. From the ageless bug princess to the lonely man filled with greed, the citizens of Hyrule paid little attention. Just as they paid little attention to the town lockdown, when soldiers were the only ones permitted to roam the streets and everyone else was confined to the safety of their homes without being told why.

Gossip was a natural phenomenon that occurred every day in Castle Town, so it came as no surprise when rumors of possible reasons for why the sudden lockdown had occurred began to spread like a plague. Some claimed it was a routine test, to see how well the citizens would react to an unexpected crisis. Others thought the royal family was just exploring the boundaries of their authority. Some dared to go as far as to say that one of Hyrule's neighboring countries had become unfriendly, and the town had been shut down so unwelcome foreigners could not enter.

The fortune teller, Fanadi, had a completely different theory and insisted that it was a precaution to protect the denizens of Hyrule Castle Town from a horde of monsters commanded by a white demon. Of course, no one believed her, and how were they expected to when, for only ten rupees, she would consult her crystal ball and tell them anything they wanted to know. Usually the answer was just what they wanted to hear, a bit cryptic and mysterious, but not so much so that it was impossible to decipher the meaning. The fact that the meaning of this message was quite clear, suggested that it was false.

Link knew that Fanadi was correct, as she often was, because he had faced that demon and his army of grotesque creatures. The demon that had been alive, supposedly, since the beginning of time and had escaped his prison to…well, Link wasn't entirely sure of Ghirahim's ultimate motive. At first he had thought that the evil sword spirit wished to spread darkness across the land, replacing the light with monsters and fear. Now he didn't know what to think. Ghirahim was gone. He was in another world now, but it wasn't a spiritual one. Most probably expected him to take comfort in the fact that the demon lord was no longer in the same realm. Yet, this fact only enhanced his anxiety because he knew where Ghirahim was. It was a place that, until yesterday, he'd never known existed, but that didn't mean he didn't care if it was doomed by the evil that had entered it. Why the demon had aspired to go there, Link had no idea. However, the exact reason didn't matter, for he knew it was ill-intended without knowing the details.

The way that the inhabitants of Hyrule Castle Town so casually dismissed the rumors and the lockdown all together, appalled Link, especially since everyone had been allowed out of their homes roughly one hour ago. Already the town was back to its usual self, the hum a little on the cautious side but not enough to disrupt daily habits.

Link couldn't dismiss the event so readily. In fact, he couldn't stop thinking about it, so the fact that the citizens of Hyrule didn't give it a second thought amazed him. He was also a tad envious of their ignorance to the situation. It wasn't just them that he wished to emulate. The entire world was the same. No matter what disaster befell it, time continued to march forward unperturbed. Nothing could interrupt it, and if something did, time never let that something mean anything to it. As a result, time continued, and Link found himself wishing to catch up. However, it was just too soon. Time had the ability to heal, but it was almost never fast on delivering.

Humans were different because, unlike time, they possessed souls. They had morals, and when those morals were violated it was very difficult to ignore the problem and proceed with life. Instinct screamed to fix the problem, but rationality screamed right back that it wasn't possible. Even an hour later Link couldn't bring himself to admit that they'd been defeated. It wasn't that Link wasn't accustomed to losing. He'd lost battles and games before, but they hadn't affected him much. Trivial things like sparring matches and childish activities did not hold dire consequences for losing. However, a loss of this magnitude was something Link had never experienced before, and he thought that maybe it was the natural nature of every person to try to find hope in something, even when it didn't seem to be available, that kept him clinging to denial.

Unfortunately for Link, the more he denied it, the more he realized that it was true. He had the right to deny their defeat for however long he wanted to, but the reality of it was that denying it would not change the truth. The truth was a force that none could mess with or alter. It was simply always real no matter how much you wished it wasn't. Upon coming to this conclusion, Link grew frustrated.

Ghirahim had deceived them so easily, or was it the goddess, Hylia? Honestly, Link had begun to think of them both as a conspiring force. After all, hadn't it been  _Hylia_  that started this entire fiasco? She was the one that had organized everything. She was the one that had left the riddle, deceiving them into thinking it would deliver Kid, Tetra, and their friends back to their own world, the world that she deliberately took them out of. Instead it was a ploy to get them to go along with her little scheme to eradicate Ghirahim for good. Her plans hadn't been well thought out, or Ghirahim got them in advance and adjusted his goals to intercept hers. Either way, Link had failed to see it. Even if he had meticulously analyzed the riddle piece by piece and ordered Fi to relay every single detail about Ghirahim she had stored in her large database, their chances of prevailing would probably still be lacking.

After all, they hadn't seen  _everything_  that Ghirahim was capable of just yet. Link was sure of that much. The demon lord had changed form to a point, and Link hadn't had the time, or frame of mind, to consult Fi for new information. Normally Link prided himself in overcoming any obstacle but this one just may prove too much for him to handle. The evil sword spirit was much more powerful and cunning than any of them had anticipated…

"Link!" Princess Zelda half whispered, nudging him lightly in the side with her elbow in case her words weren't enough to bring him out of his reverie. Pain pulsed in his midsection for a couple seconds as a result of the gesture, and he tried not to show his discomfort as he tore his gaze away from the open window he'd been staring at without really seeing for the past few minutes. Just as his mind wasn't completely healed from the confrontation with Ghirahim, neither was his body. Link snapped to attention anyway, straightening his slouched posture in the cushioned chair he sat in. He estimated that they had both been waiting alone in that room for at least a half hour, saying nothing to each other and letting their thoughts run wild.

His piercing blue eyes locked onto the newcomer's cold crimson ones in an instant. Red wasn't a natural eye color, and Link could count the number of people he knew with red eyes on one hand. That's why he knew who this woman was as soon as she stepped into the room. Her silver blonde hair framed her tanned face in the front and was heaped atop her head in a large braided bun. The attire she wore was appropriate for her position of Captain of the Hyrulean Royal Guard as the majority of it consisted of perfectly crafted armor, covering her chest, shoulders, knees, forearms, and hips. The fabric of her pants was coarse, yet tightfitting, and the heavy boots she wore thudded with every step, announcing her fearsome presence just in case the painted crimson teardrop symbol around her right eye and natural scowl she wore everywhere she went weren't enough to get the message across that she was a force to be reckoned with. Her appearance wasn't the only reason why Link knew who she was. He had only met her once before, shortly after the Twilight Invasion had come to a close, but her personality was one that couldn't easily be forgotten. Impa was not one of those forgettable people. She made a lasting impression on everyone she met and the more you tried to forget her, the more you ended up remembering her.

The King himself stepped into the room next, though Link wasn't sure if that was the correct terminology to use. Technically, Princess Zelda ruled the kingdom so there currently wasn't a king. He was simply the former king. Either way, he was still Zelda's father and while the smile he gave them both wasn't unkind, it wasn't welcoming either. He'd never actually met the king, or former king, before, so Link was a bit stunned to witness how unremarkable his appearance was. Other than a rather impressive unibrow and his regal attire, there were not many distinctive features. Overall, he was a man with a medium build and an average height with a graying head of neatly trimmed hair. Nothing too interesting or eye catching, although Link did notice that he shared the same eye color as his daughter.

Link forced himself to be polite, inclining his head slightly in greeting when he noticed Zelda doing so beside him. However, there was something he wanted to know and his formality didn't last long.

"Where did you take them?" Link asked as both Impa and Zelda's father approached the long conference table he and the princess were seated at. It was the same table that he had sat around yesterday with his companions, discussing their plan and exactly who Kid and Tetra were. Kid and Tetra who had been directed somewhere else by the guards that had intercepted them in the town square and ushered them back to the castle per orders. When the four of them had set out for the castle, for lack of a better option, none of them had expected such a greeting. Link and Zelda had been directed here immediately and ordered to wait. As for exactly what they were waiting for, that was not specified, but now Link predicted it to be a lecture of some kind judging by the people that had entered the room.

"If by 'them', you mean the two children that you were with, then they're perfectly safe in another wing of the castle," Impa answered him, her tone as hard as her armor.

"When can we see them?" Link questioned her, knowing that he would get nowhere with Impa by asking for clarification. The woman didn't work that way. She only disclosed the information she thought others should know which meant that most of her responses were vague.

"Depends," Impa said, coming to a halt on the other side of the wooden table and turning to face them, arms folded neatly behind her back.

"On…" Link prompted, his eyes momentarily resting on the king as he sat down across from them before returning to Impa.

"On your answers to our questions," the Captain of the Royal Guard replied calmly. Link was anything but calm at the moment and struggled to refrain from fidgeting in his seat. Impa's equivocal attitude wasn't helping matters.

"Which are…" Princess Zelda spoke up, encouraging Impa to continue.

However, it was her father that spoke next. "There are certain benefits that come with being in a position of authority for as long as I have. The most prominent, and helpful, I think, is the ability to sense when things are amiss in my kingdom. I've had this feeling for a while now, as I mentioned to you just yesterday, Zelda. Unfortunately, this sixth sense I have developed does not provide me with specifics. However, I am quite certain that you two know exactly what has been occurring for the past week."

"And, naturally, your recent activities have incited much suspicion from an outside viewpoint," Impa chimed in, "Think about it, the princess running off with the young man that had saved the kingdom just a year ago to engage in unspecified business. And that unspecified business remains a mystery even to her father. Get where this is going?"

' _Wait a minute…she doesn't really think…'_ Link barely kept his shock from showing, and quickly turned to the princess to interpret her analysis of the situation. While her body language was reserved and proper, her ice blue eyes exchanged a look of bewilderment with his own.

"I-it's not like that!" Link exclaimed, turning back to the two adults who were carefully assessing their reaction and shaking his head fiercely. Link silently cursed himself for stuttering. That made him look guilty.

"Of course we weren't doing anything like that!" Zelda cried at the same time, rejecting Impa's implication. Link certainly cared for the princess, but he'd never even entertained the idea of dating her, much less running off with her as Impa was suggesting by her words and the withering look she was shooting them both.

"If that's not it, and I sincerely doubt it is, then I suggest both of you elaborate. Would you two care to enlighten us of what has really been happening in this kingdom as of late?" the king invited them. Link and Zelda were more than happy to comply, eager to rid the previous notion from their interrogators' brains, and replace it with the truth. However, they both found that they didn't know where to start.

After a moment or two of awkward starts and abrupt stops on both of their parts, the princess found her voice and stated, "A new evil recently manifested and we were attempting to eradicate it."

"And why weren't Impa and I alerted of this matter as soon as you learned of it?" her father asked, something more than a scolding in his tone. Something that Link thought he could identify as genuine curiosity.

"Well, we weren't positive of what it was exactly, just that it existed," Zelda answered, choosing her words with care.

"And we only found out what it really was a few days ago," Link added.

"So, Zelda, what compelled you to leave the castle in the first place, if it wasn't this trouble?" the king questioned, his eyes now focused only on the princess as he awaited her response.

"Well…I suppose it all started with the children. Link brought them all to me, the two we entered the castle with earlier and three others that have been staying here," Zelda began. Link was relieved that she didn't mention the manner in which he had brought them to her. Hero of Hyrule or not, he was sure he'd get in trouble for sneaking into the castle if the king, or former king, ever found out about it. "He explained to me how he met them and what led all of them to seek out my aid. Their situation intrigued me, especially since we knew so little about the children and where they were really from."

"So you embarked on this journey with two of the five children purely out of curiosity? Isn't that a bit reckless, my dear?" her father admonished.

"Perhaps," Zelda agreed curtly, "However, we thought that the light spirits simply had exclusive information for us, and I felt that I needed to know who these children were. I'd only find that out by going along with them. I might have changed my mind if one of us anticipated the journey to be so dangerous, but no one did."

"Your wisdom stretches far, princess, but apparently not far enough," Impa commented, "If you meet some strange individuals who won't specify where they're from or identify themselves then whatever quest you choose to travel with them on will most definitely be life-threatening. Besides, if you really wanted to know their life stories, why didn't you just ask?"

"It's not like we didn't try. Whenever we attempted it they'd either change the subject or provide us with vague answers," Link explained.

"Why didn't you just threaten to stop helping them if they didn't tell you the truth?" Impa inquired.

"Well, they just wanted to get home, and Zelda…er, Princess Zelda," Link corrected himself when he was given two disapproving looks, "and I agreed to help. If we threatened them, they'd know that the threat was only that. A threat. So there was no point. That doesn't even matter now anyway. We know exactly who they are and where they come from."

"Answer me this then," Impa challenged him, "If they wanted to return home so badly then why didn't they tell you where they were from? This all seems very suspicious, kids or not. If they're from a different country, they should have said so from the start. Otherwise-"

"They're not from a different country," Link interrupted, powering through the intense glare that Impa shot his way.

"So they're from here? Hyrule?" the king queried.

"No," Link shook his head.

"Link, you are aware that you are contradicting yourself?" Impa informed him, her tone at the very edges of patience, "How can they be both from and not from Hyrule at the same time?"

"He's not contradicting himself, Impa. It's true, if a tad…unbelievable at first," Zelda interjected.

"Explain," the princess's father commanded. Link and Zelda traded glances, silently discussing who would do just that.

"They're from a world that runs parallel to ours," Link said finally. "It's a different version of Hyrule."

"How is that possible?" Impa wanted to know, her tone of voice implying that she thought Link was fabricating wild tales to cover up the truth.

"The Hero of Time did it, unintentionally, at the conclusion of his journey. His actions caused time to split," Link elaborated. At the dubious looks he received from the two adults, Link continued, attempting to eliminate the confusion. "It's like two different endings to a story. One is good, the other is bad. Our world here, this Hyrule, is the result of the good ending. The other world is the outcome of the bad one."

"If the children come from a different version of Hyrule then what does that make them?" Zelda's father wondered.

"Our counterparts. Not all of them, just two," Zelda replied, "The two we traveled with this past week. Just like a different version of Hyrule exists, so do different versions of its inhabitants."

"So that's why that girl is dressed like a princess with symbols of the Hyrulean Royal Family on her dress. Because she's you, Zelda. And the boy was wearing a tunic and hat like yours, Link. He's really you," Impa concluded.

"They're not us. They are their own people just like anyone else," Princess Zelda clarified, "Their pasts are different than ours, as are their experiences. They are what we had the potential to become in the other world, the people we would have been, had we lived there."

"Interesting. And the others?" the king prompted, "Whose counterparts are they?"

"We're not sure who their counterparts are," Link cut in when the princess hesitated to answer. "It doesn't really matter. Two of them are friends of our counterparts and the youngest one is my counterpart's sister."

"Now that you've explained the children, how about explaining the dramatic increase in monsters and this new evil you two have discovered?" the king requested.

Link took a breath before replying. "To sum it up as quickly as possible, there's an ancient demon lord that has been trapped inside a sword for a very long time and he recently broke free from his prison. He had help from another villain in spreading monsters around Hyrule. That's why there has been more and more monsters popping up and making travel unsafe. Our original mission deviated to getting rid of this guy and that's the goal we've been working towards instead these last few days."

"Since you're all in one piece and monsters are no longer threatening to ambush the town, I trust that you finished the job?" Impa stated.

"Well…not exactly," Link confided, dropping his eyes to the tabletop and focusing on the swirling patterns in the wood.

"The plan that Link, our counterparts, and I made yesterday encountered…complications. Unfortunately, we were outmatched and ill prepared for the battle. The demon lord escaped," Zelda added to Link's confession. He was grateful that she had woken up pretty quickly after everything was over and done with. The whole walk back to town he had summarized the entire days events from his end of things for her. Explaining how and why Ghirahim had arrived without them and why Tetra's appearance was so different from before had distracted him from dwelling on their loss as he was beginning to do again now.

However, Link shook away the denial and tried to force in acceptance. They had lost, yes, but they weren't dead. That meant that they still had a chance to defeat Ghirahim, even if it was microscopic. Unfortunately, explaining themselves was growing dull. It was the last thing he wanted to be doing at the moment but there was no way that anyone in the room would let him wriggle out of it. Zelda, while she knew quite a lot, didn't know all of the details about today. There were things that only Link had knowledge of and would need to explain if their interrogator's asked for it.

"Escaped where?" Zelda's father inquired, wary of the response he would receive.

"To the other world. The world that our counterparts are from," Link answered when Zelda failed to respond.

"The same world that you two have been trying to return the children to? How did he manage to escape to a place that you can't reach?" her father wondered.

"He gathered all of the pieces of the Triforce, Wisdom, Power, and Courage, and put the sacred relic together. Then he made a wish and it was all over," the princess replied, her voice softer than before, as if even she didn't want to admit their defeat.

"Well, as long as that demon isn't in our world, I don't care where he is," Impa interjected.

"You mean you don't care what happens to the other world?!" Link exclaimed in a mixture of rage and astonishment at Impa's reaction to the news. He should have expected it though. Impa wasn't a very compassionate person. She was as brutal and swift-tongued as her many blades. Almost every thought she had made its way out of her mouth, which made for a very bluntly honest personality.

"Of course I care," Impa replied, in a hard tone that didn't convince Link at all of that statement. "However, if the Royal Family over in that other version of Hyrule doesn't have any precautions in place to protect their kingdom then they deserve whatever that demon lord brings to them. Besides, it's not our problem, so I have no reason to be concerned. We didn't know that world even existed before. Whether it lives or dies will not affect us in any way."

"So just because we didn't know it existed before means that we can just ignore it now?" Link wondered, struggling to keep from shouting as he stood up, "It's one thing to be ignorant. You can scrape up a meager excuse then, but choosing to ignore it is completely different!"

"Look, I know that you saved this kingdom once. I'll dare say twice since that demon is no longer present in this world. However, I've been the Captain of the Hyrulean Guard far longer than you've been a hero to this land, and there is a lesson that every soldier must learn at some point. We're all heroes in a sense; we all fight for this country to protect everyone and keep the peace. Yet, there are times when innocents are caught in the cross fire and there is nothing you can do to spare those lives. I understand that as a hero you strive to save everyone, but that's just not realistic. Sacrifices must be made," Impa lectured sagely.

"Ignoring an entire world in need isn't a sacrifice! It's practically murder!" Link shouted, indifferent to the fact that yelling could get him in even more trouble than he was probably already in for talking back to Impa. "There are people that live there! They have lives, families! What if it was reversed? What if our world was the one that was doomed and our only hope laid in the hands of those in the alternate one? Wouldn't you want them to help us instead of letting us all die, or worse, become slaves to a demon?"

"If it was reversed then, yes, I would appreciate the aid, but I would also understand if the other world didn't send any. I am quite certain that we could handle it on our own regardless if the positions were switched. However, seeing as the situation is not reversed, there is no use in entertaining the idea," Impa stated nonchalantly, "As I said before, if the other world isn't prepared for a disaster then that's their own folly."

"No, it's not!" Link cried, beyond frustrated by now.

Before he could progress his verbal attack any further or transform it into something physical, Princess Zelda stood up beside him and placed a hand on his arm in a silent gesture to allow her to speak. Link only complied because he knew that Zelda, being a person that had lived in the castle her entire life, had a chance of making Impa understand. "Impa, there is a reason why Link explained how the two worlds came to be in the manner that he did. Our kingdom is indeed the preferred outcome of the two that exist. The kingdom in the alternate world was not as fortunate as ours. It's very different, as we've been saying all along. The Hero of Time did save the other world, and in turn ours. However, he left a bit too soon, and once he left, he could not return. The evil remained there, dormant. It later broke free, and the people had faith that their hero would return once again to save them all. Unfortunately, he never did. Finally, upon realizing that their hero had abandoned them, the people prayed to the Gods who answered their desperate prayers with a torrential downpour. Hyrule, everything we know today, the fields, the forests, the mountains, the towns and villages, this castle, was flooded with water. Very few citizens escaped to the mountaintops and the evil was sealed away under this new body of water. So you see, there is no longer a kingdom, just an ocean and many islands. The Royal Family does not exist in that world."

"If the Royal Family of Hyrule does not exist then explain your counterpart. Why is she garbed in regal dress?" Impa challenged, crossing her arms over her armored chest as if securing her winning spot in the argument.

"She doesn't normally look that way," Zelda defended, "Her Triforce of Wisdom was originally split into two fragments. When she put the two together, it changed her appearance to fit her true heritage. She's the last person in the royal bloodline in her world, and you can't possibly argue that she should be prepared for something like this. She didn't know she was a princess until a year ago. Lives were not the only things lost in the flood."

"In that case, I agree with Link that something must be done for the other world," the king spoke up, turning all eyes on him, "If the parallel version of Hyrule really is a string of islands then their government system cannot be very organized or stable. If the demon is as powerful as you two foretell him to be then the people living there don't stand a chance of surviving. However, I am not endangering my only daughter in this expedition."

"I must-" Zelda tried but her father cut her off.

"Now, Zelda. I understand that you wish to help. I do, but you're place is here. This is your kingdom, and I would like you to have a good grasp on how to handle it properly before I leave this world someday. Lately you haven't displayed the responsibility and maturity that a good ruler must possess. There is still the issue of how to reach this alternate world, and I will excuse you temporarily from your other duties to allow you to help Link and the children discover a way there. However, you may  _not_  accompany them to the other world. Understood?"

"But the four of us couldn't defeat the demon! How are Link and the others expected to prevail if I can't help them?" Zelda pointed out.

"You all realize what you're up against now. Link and your counterparts can easily learn from past mistakes. Besides, I believe that some form of punishment is required for you, Zelda," her father replied.

"Why? I didn't break your other restriction! I had guards with me when I left the castle today, and I just went to the edge of the town," Zelda refuted.

"Correction, you had the entire army at your back without my approval," Impa rectified.

"You never said no," Zelda argued.

"I never had a chance to say yes or no because you did not ask me, princess. I suppose I should be wary of the food and drink brought to me from now on, hmm?" Impa wondered, quirking an eyebrow.

"What? What did you do?" Link inquired, turning to Zelda. He knew that last night she was preparing everything for today, but he had never thought to ask what that entailed.

"I just slipped some of a sleeping potion in her drink last night. That's all. It didn't do any harm," Zelda answered casually, her tone implying that it was a perfectly normal thing to do.

"Why didn't you just ask her?" Link wondered, stunned at the princess's response. He'd never thought of Zelda as particularly sneaky or mischievous before but apparently she could be when she wanted to be.

"Yes, why didn't you just ask me?" Impa emphasized.

"Because…truly, you can be unreasonable at times, Impa. Look how long this conversation is running. You don't like to agree with people. If I had asked you then you would have said no, or we would have argued the point for hours, or you would have told my father. We were so close to defeating him at the time, or so we thought, that I couldn't allow any delays," Zelda confessed.

"That doesn't make what you did right," the king pointed out.

"I am aware of that, and Impa, I'm sorry. It will never happen again, I promise," Zelda apologized, clasping her hands behind her back and bowing her head. She then sat back down and Link took that as his cue to do the same.

"I trust that you won't attempt anything of the sort again, however, these types of actions are childish, and I cannot exempt you from a punishment," her father said, returning to his original point, "As I said before, you can use your goddess given wisdom to help them figure out how to reach the alternate world, but you will remain here once a solution is achieved. Promise me."

The king's gaze was unwavering as he watched his daughter for signs of potential rebellion, and Link's eyes drifted to the princess as well. However, she was quite adept at concealing her thoughts when it was convenient for her and not even her eyes conveyed the subtlest of hints as to what she was thinking.

"I promise that I will remain here, father," Zelda sighed at last, the reluctance of the statement clear in her voice.

"Very good," the king nodded in satisfaction. "Link, you and the children are welcome to stay here for as long as you need. There's more than enough space. However, there is still one problem."

"What is it?" Link inquired. Between their loss against Ghirahim and not knowing how to get to the Great Sea, they had more than enough on their plate.

"Zelda's counterpart. I myself have not seen her, but if she is indeed dressed like a princess complete with our family crest then it is sure to raise suspicion amongst our staff, and I highly doubt that making the existence of the other world public would be wise." the king explained.

"That's not a problem. As Zelda said before, she doesn't normally look like that, we can just have her change back," Link assured him, happy that the solution was so simple.

"Then see to it that she does as soon as possible please," the Princess of Hyrule's father requested, rising from his cushioned seat. "I believe this conversation is over." With those posing has his departing words, he began to walk towards the exit with Impa following a respective distance behind.

"You can find your counterparts in the sitting room on the second floor," Impa called helpfully over her shoulder before she stepped out of the room and the door shut behind them both, leaving Link and Zelda alone once again.

"Finally, they leave!" Midna exclaimed, slipping out of Link's shadow to address both of them. "You're father's really unfair! I mean, I get where he's coming from and all but still. If we're really going to Kid and Tetra's world to kill that guy then we'll need you, Zelda."

"Once we find a way to their world, then I am coming along despite my father's wishes," Zelda announced.

"What? Have you finally found your rebellious side?" Midna teased, grinning.

"But you promised your father…" Link trailed off.

"Did I?" Zelda mused, unfolding her hands from behind her back and showing Link what she'd been concealing.

"Wow, Zelda. I think Tetra's been rubbing off on you a bit," Link commented after noting her crossed fingers and managing to crack a small smile for the first time since their defeat.

"Huh?" Midna wondered, confused, "I don't get it. What does that mean?"

"It means," Zelda said, a smile now replacing the solemn frown on her face, "that the promise I made was false."

The puzzled expression on Midna's face transformed into one of recognition and she exclaimed, "Oh yeah! We have something like that in the Twilight Realm. The only difference is, that when the other person is trying to make you promise something that you don't agree with, you slap them in the face!"

"Really?" Link asked. That seemed like a weird tradition to him. Not to mention that it wouldn't be much of a secret to the other person.

"No, not really!" Midna rolled her eyes at his gullibility. "You light dwellers are weird sometimes, but, hey, if you're going to help then I guess I can't complain."

"Let's go find Kid and Tetra. I'm sure they're upset about all of this," Link suggested, getting to his feet.

"Well of course they have to be upset! I can't believe that we lost!" Midna cried, her facial features hardening into a scowl. Knowing that Midna was just as infuriated about their defeat as he was made him feel a little better, but the relief was short lived as he realized that the feeling had to be even worse for Kid and Tetra. After all, they were still trapped in this world with no obvious way out of it.

Link, Zelda, and Midna, concealed in Link's shadow, left the conference room behind and made their way to the room that Impa had told them that their companions were in. As they approached the door Link was surprised that his unusually sensitive ears could not pick up any sounds from behind it. Once they opened the door he discovered why. No one was inside.

"Really, Impa?" Link muttered. Leading them to the wrong place seemed like something she'd do.

"Wait, I'm not so sure that she really misled us," Zelda spoke up.

Link gestured to the empty room, "Yeah, because we were expecting no one to be here."

"No, because the room wasn't guarded or locked which means that they could have easily slipped out," Zelda explained.

"Where would they have gone?" Link wondered as they both backed out of the room, and he closed the door.

"To find us?" Zelda proposed.

"Or their friends?" Link suggested as the thought occurred to him. Somehow that sounded like a bad thing, but he didn't understand why. So much had happened so fast that he was positive that during the conversation, or even before it, he'd forgotten something extremely important. He certainly couldn't forget their failure, that stood out a bit too prominently in his mind and he tried to push it back, so he could think a bit more clearly. After a few more moments of furious contemplation Link finally realized what it was and didn't even bother to stop the curse that passed his lips as a result.

"What is it?" Zelda wanted to know, but Link simply didn't have time to explain.

"I hope I'm wrong but…I don't think I am. Come on, we have to find them. Now," Link responded his voice grim. Thankfully his tone of voice was enough of an indicator to the princess that they had a brand new problem on their hands, and they both hurried down the hall, quickly interrogating passing servants or guards in hopes that one of them had witnessed a young boy in green and girl in a fancy pink dress heading in a certain direction.

Most claimed that they hadn't noticed anything of the sort but a select few reported seeing them, and it was the information gathered from these particular people that led the frenzied princess and hero to the castle's library.

The large room held all sorts of ancient pamphlets, records, articles, books, both new and old, legends, and various texts recounting the land's history. The book shelves were practically a maze themselves, and if one wasn't familiar with the layout, the chances of finding a desired book was nearly impossible. However, Link wasn't interested in the bookcases or their contents so much as the whereabouts his companions and their friends.

Amongst fallen books and scattered pages they found both of their counterparts. Kid and Tetra were sitting on the floor, completely silent. Despite not being able to see either one of their faces, Link was able to confirm his suspicions simply by the children's defeated posture as they sat on the ground side by side. The lack of people in the room was also a helpful indicator that Medli and Makar, the Sages of Earth and Wind, were gone, whisked away by a demon's wish to a world that might as well have been on the moon, for it was just as unreachable.


	2. She's Gone

' _She's gone.'_  This had been the consistent phrase pounding in his head ever since he found out his little sister was gone. It was a rhythm he had no desire to repeat and yet, it persisted to mock him.  _'She's gone. She's gone. There's nothing you can do. She's gone.'_ Those were the same words that Tetra, now his best friend but at one point an inconsiderate pirate in his eyes, had shouted at him as she and her first mate prevented him from falling off of a cliff when the monstrous bird had originally snatched his precious little sister away. Back then, those words, while they had hit hard and quieted him enough to allow the two pirates to pull him up to safety, had held no truth. His sister had not been gone forever as implied. He had embarked on an elaborate journey to save her, thus proving that there was actually quite a lot he  _could_  do to reclaim his sister from the clutches of the evil that had stolen her from him. Not only had he rescued her, but he had also been the long awaited savior of the other girls who were unfortunate enough to be kidnapped as well.

Now the meaning of that phrase had changed. Unlike before it was true. There was nothing he could do. Any action he took wouldn't be enough. He couldn't leap between worlds, if he could then there wouldn't be a problem, but he couldn't and so his sister and his friends were lost. He'd been bracing himself for finding the library vacant of the bright-eyed Rito girl and energetic Korok ever since he and Tetra had made it their personal mission to seek out their friends.

When they had first been led to a room in Hyrule Castle, the two of them had stayed there in stunned silence for a few minutes. Then Kid, recovered slightly from the shock of it all, had vividly recalled the demon lord's wish and became worried for Medli and Makar, who were both mentioned within it. Despite being instructed to remain in the room until someone came to fetch them, both he and Tetra had stole through the halls, checking every place they could think of for any sign of their friends. Finally, they'd arrived at the library to discover what they had hoped was not true.

However, Kid never imagined for a fraction of a second that he'd find Aryll to be absent as well with her treasured red telescope abandoned on the floor, buried beneath fallen papers that had been tossed from their places on the table presumably when whatever portal had opened up and swallowed all three of them whole. Knowing that they had all been returned to the Great Sea, at least according to Ghirahim's wish, did little to alleviate Kid's anxiety. Just because they were home didn't mean they were safe. Ghirahim now inhabited their world which automatically made it dangerous for everyone there. The worst part of it all was that Kid found himself hopelessly stuck in Hyrule.

A familiar pain in his abdomen momentarily pulled him out of his troubled thoughts, and Kid curled up further on the floor in an attempt to relieve it. No matter how much he told himself that he didn't care about eating or drinking, his body refused to allow him to forget that he'd skipped meals today that he should not have. Truthfully, he was just as hungry as he was sore and tired from the day's events. However, while there was plenty of food and drink available for him to consume, he simply had no interest in it no matter how much his stomach harried him for it.

Kid had no idea what type of situation his friends and little sister were entangled in right now. The Great Sea was so vast. Water was more bountiful than land there, so the chances of landing on an island were slim, an inhabited island, even slimmer. What if they were lost at sea, or worse, already drowned? Or what if they were on a piece of rock that the denizens of the Great Sea had, for some unfathomable reason, dubbed an island, with no vital resources to be found? What if they were starving? Thirsty? Hurt? He didn't know if they were any of these things, but Kid felt that he didn't deserve the luxury of food if his friends and kid sister did not have them.

Earlier, he had lamented this fact in full, beginning to cry without fully registering it in the library when Link and the princess had found him and Tetra sitting there, speechless at the sight before them. Normally he wouldn't cry when things didn't go his way. When he'd first started out on his adventure he had obviously shed more than a few tears in private, but ever since then, he'd realized that crying didn't solve anything. Despite knowing that, Kid had found that he couldn't stop once he started, and so he had cried, not for himself, but for his no doubt terrified friends and little sister, he'd cried for the home he had no hope of seeing again, he'd cried for the tragic end of a world that should never have existed filled with people that should never have been born, he'd cried for the suffering of every hero, those remembered and those forgotten, and most of all, he had cried for his inability to save everyone.

Cradling his little sister's meticulously painted telescope, Kid wished to view the situation as he had once before when Aryll had been kidnapped. Last time this had happened he had vowed to save her with reckless determination. The kind of determination that experience will knock right out of you and slap you around just a little more to get the right idea engraved in your mind. Experience proved that determination meant nothing if you had no means to accomplish your goal. Writing with ink was impossible if you had no writing utensil with which to write with. No matter how determined you were, no words would appear on that parchment, much less the ones you wanted to be there. That was why Kid couldn't act as he did last time. He was trapped in one world while his goal was in another. No rescue mission could be conducted or even contemplated as long as he remained prisoner to a world he had no business in existing in.

As he reflected on it in the eerie silence of night, tucked away in some corner he was sure no one would discover him in, their situation had not improved during their entire stay here. Their reasons for returning home were even more urgent than they originally had been and, if anything, they were further from reaching the Great Sea than when they had first started. Kid wished that he could assemble the Triforce again just to wish it all away, to turn back time to the point before he agreed with Tetra that an expedition for treasure could be fun during his little sister's visit. Unfortunately, their innocent attempt at "fun" had quickly transformed into a living nightmare, or rather, had progressed his previous one.

Honestly, he'd been ensnared in it for over a year, laughing and smiling in hopes to scare the bad away, but the bad refused to disappear. It lurked on the sidelines, patiently waiting for the moment it could imprison him once more. The bad was selfish and seemed to have a strange penchant for targeting him in particular. It was constantly forcing him out of the comforts of his home, or some semblance of one, and throwing him into scenarios he had no desire to take part in. It was like the Gods were playing with him, and he didn't enjoy their games. They were brutal, taxing, and harmful to both his mind and body. Yet, they did not stop, and Kid knew deep down that they never would.

"Aha! Found you!" Midna announced as if they had been playing a game the entire time, and she had just emerged victorious without him realizing it. Startled by her sudden appearance, Kid jerked himself upright into a sitting position so fast that his head spun. He quickly recovered and peered at the Twili hovering a short distance away. The room was completely dark, aside from Midna's luminous red and yellow eyes which, at the moment, reminded him of a cat's with the way that they seemed to glow as they reflected the lack of light. How she had managed to find him nestled in between two bookcases in what he was sure was one of the darkest corners of the library, Kid could only guess.

"Why were you looking for me?" Kid asked despite already knowing the answer.

Midna humored him anyway. "Because Link's worried, Zelda and Tetra are worried… _I'm_  worried."

"Well, you can stop being worried," Kid stated as the Twilight Princess sat crossed-legged in the air.

"So you're finally done with your whole I-don't-want-anything-to-do-with-anyone-or-anything phase?" Midna predicted.

"No," Kid replied, wincing inwardly when the word had a nasty bite on the end of it that he didn't intend to let out.

Midna seemed just as startled by his tone as he was and remained silent. Kid bit his lip, an apology already on the tip of his tongue. Before he could voice it, Midna slipped into the shadows, and he was alone once again. Her leaving left him feeling empty, but he didn't understand why. Hadn't he wanted to be alone? That was why he had come here in the first place.

When it was first discovered that Aryll was missing and shouldn't have been, Link, Princess Zelda, and Tetra had split up to search the castle under the impression that she had run off in a panic when the sages were taken. Kid had been the only one to stay where he was because unlike them, he knew she was gone. He knew because she would never leave her telescope unattended unless she had no say in the matter.

Once it was concluded that Aryll must have been taken along with Medli and Makar, his friends had immediately attempted to console him with everything from logic to promises they had no way of keeping. By the time dinner had rolled around, he flatly refused to swallow anything, which had prompted everyone to pester him about eating and, in turn, caused him to insist he wasn't hungry. They had then made it their mission, for whatever reason, to get him to eat, but no matter what enticing sweets they brought him or hot drinks they offered, he wouldn't accept the smallest drop or a meager bite of any of it. Every time they attempted to reason with him he would tune out, letting their words fall on deaf ears. Finally he'd managed to elude them and found a place he was sure no one would disturb him.

However, it was imminent that someone would eventually discover where he was and when they did, he had never intended the words he said to them, and tone in which he spoke those words, to be harsh. Midna probably hated him now. She was just trying to be nice to him, and he had rudely pushed her away. At the moment, his frustration at being trapped in this world for possibly forever was weighing more heavily on him than the guilt of being anything less than nice to his friend, so Kid stayed where he was, his back pressed against the wall and legs pulled up to his chest with Aryll's telescope balanced carefully on his knees.

"You can't stay there forever," Link's voice cut through the blackness of the room, and Kid raised his bowed head to look at his counterpart. Link was leaning against the bookcase across from him with arms crossed as he watched Kid carefully, his lantern emitting a soft orange glow from where it was attached to his hip.

"Why not?" Kid wondered, his tone razor sharp without him wanting it to be. Link was evidently taken aback by the way he spoke, and Midna reappeared. So she hadn't abandoned him after all. She had gone to retrieve Link. Kid couldn't tell if that was supposed to be an act of friendliness or payback.

"I told you to be careful what you said to him," Midna admonished Link, eyeing him mischievously, "He's snappy like a Deku Baba. Watch out or he might just bite your head off." Offended by Midna's description of his undesirable attitude, Kid nearly retorted to her comment but bit the inside of his cheek to refrain from doing so. If he did say something, he'd just be proving her point further. However, he did glare at her, for which she maturely ignored him.

Link sighed but tried again. "Look, I know accepting it isn't easy and no matter what I say you'll find some way to deny it, but if you really want to get your friends and sister back, you can't keep being pessimistic. Starving yourself won't bring them back either, it'll just make you sick."

' _Eating won't bring them back either,'_  Kid wanted to say but didn't for fear of how it would come out.

Link continued when Kid didn't say anything. "There  _is_  a way to get to your world, and we'll find it. We'll do it on our own without any riddles to mislead us, so don't worry. It'll be okay."

Kid shook his head vehemently in response. "No, it won't be okay!" Kid snapped, his voice bitter. This time, he meant it. Never had his counterpart lied to him before but here he was doing just that. Was Link really so desperate that he was resorting to the use of lies as a form of reassurance? "If there was a way back then we would have found it by now! We've been practically all over Hyrule, and we still don't know how to get home! The light spirits don't know, the Great Deku Tree doesn't know, no one knows! The only way I see us getting there is putting together the Triforce and wishing ourselves there, but that's not going to happen because no matter how many Triforces of Courage and Wisdom we have we'll always be missing power, and without it we can't assemble the Triforce! Face it, we're stuck here."

"There has to be another way to do it," Link insisted.

"There's not!" Kid cried, his voice a bit muffled since he had buried his face in his arms.

"You guys didn't get here with the Triforce, so it shouldn't be your only hope of getting back," Link pointed out, "There is another way to reach your world. I bet it's so simple that none of us have thought of it yet."

"Link, that doesn't even make any sense," Kid complained, beginning to remember one of the reasons why he hadn't bothered to listen to this spiel earlier.

"Yes, it does. Sometimes I don't see things that are right in front of my face. Take Tetra for instance. I never for a second suspected her of being a princess," Link said.

"But that's different," Kid argued.

"Not really," Link disagreed. "Come on, you're tired. If you feel the same way in the morning then we can argue about it as much as you want, but right now you need to rest."

"I don't want to," Kid stubbornly refused. In truth, he wanted nothing more than to lay down and have dreams sweep him away to a place where he'd forget everything, but he knew that there was no point. All of his worries would just come rushing back like a tidal wave in the morning.

"You can sleep in here if you want," Link offered.

"No, I don't want to do that," Kid replied, the edge in his tone becoming a bit duller as his weariness began to return.

"Then what  _do_  you want?" Link wondered. What Kid really wanted was to go home, but that wasn't an option. He wanted to know if Medli, Makar, and Aryll were okay. He wanted to stop feeling helpless. He wanted people to stop telling him what he needed and let him figure it out for himself. He wanted to stop not caring if he hurt his friends' feelings because, deep down, he really did care, but being nice, for once, seemed to take more energy than being mean.

Maybe that was why he couldn't help but spit out the words, "I want you to leave!" And immediately wanted to slap himself for it. He didn't though. He stayed right where he was.

"You don't mean that," Link said. It wasn't a question. It wasn't even a statement. It was a plea. A plea for Kid to tell him that he had misunderstood. That Kid wasn't actually yelling at him to leave when he was just trying to help.

"I don't know about that, Link. He did go to all this trouble just to hide from us. Maybe he's serious," Midna commented quietly when Kid failed to respond.

"Are you serious, Kid? Do you want us to leave you here?" Link asked. By the way he said it, Kid knew that Link was expecting an answer in the realm of no. However, Kid wasn't even sure what would make  _him_  happy now, or if not happy, at least satisfy him temporarily.

"Great. He's giving us the silent treatment again," Midna observed, but she had it wrong. He wasn't giving them the silent treatment. Not by choice. He didn't know what to say or if he should even say anything. Deciding took more effort than Kid felt he could muster. Instead he leaned his head against his knees and closed his eyes. When his cheeks grew wet, Kid couldn't believe it.  _'_ Why  _am I crying?!'_  Kid thought, exasperated,  _'Just because I can't decide what to do? Since when do I cry over stupid things?'_

Not understanding his tears only made them fall faster. Kid didn't know exactly when he learned to cry without producing any sound, but he was thankful that he had made it a habit since neither Link nor Midna noticed. Then again, it was also dark so that probably had something to do with it too. Either way, he heard his counterpart sigh in what he interpreted as defeat and the quiet tap of his footsteps on the floor as he walked away.

Without knowing why, Kid raised his head to watch Link's retreating back, a pang of hurt striking his heart as he witnessed his counterpart leave. Had he really given up trying to console him?  _'Turn around,'_  Kid requested silently, concentrating on the back of Link's head, hoping that the older boy could feel his eyes on him. If he did, he didn't show it.

Paying no mind to the ache in his muscles, Kid grabbed his sister's telescope and got to his feet, bolting out of the corner he had squeezed himself into. He ran to catch up with Link despite the way his cramped legs protested against the action, so it was no wonder that he stumbled. Kid would have fallen but his momentum had carried him farther than he realized. Because of this, Link was able to grab his arm to keep him upright.

"I take that as a no," Link noted as Kid straightened, rubbing away the evidence of his tears with his sleeve.

"You did that on purpose," Kid accused him, unable to hide his scowl, but the lighting was so poor that he couldn't be sure Link even saw it.

"Hey, I didn't know that you'd follow. I thought you were mad at me," Link replied, releasing his hold on Kid's arm.

"I'm not," Kid informed him, weariness creeping into his voice. He could only assume that Link nodded in response, for the next thing he knew, his counterpart was guiding him out of the library and down the hall, up at least three flights of steps, and into a different room than the one they had shared before. It was noticeably larger with a fireplace, already lit, and intricately crafted golden sconces leaping with light placed at regular intervals throughout the room to provide further illumination. In reality, they only made the shadows larger. The floor was covered in a soft blue and violet carpet sporting a cross-stitch pattern while the walls were painted a rich purple. The two beds were the largest pieces of furniture in the room. Each one could easily accommodate two people if need be.

Kid was ready to leap into the nearest one and fall asleep, and he would have, if Link hadn't reminded him that he still had his sword and shield strapped to his back. He hastily attempted to remove his gear which turned out to be a bad idea because as soon as he moved his left arm the wrong way pain blossomed in his shoulder. Until now he had completely forgotten about the wound. It was mostly healed thanks to the fairy that had sacrificed herself for him, but the fairy's magic could only mend so much.

"Need help?" Link asked. Kid nodded numbly, and Link began to undo the straps that secured the weapons to Kid's back. He carefully removed Kid's sword and shield and set them aside against the wall. Once that was done Kid kicked off his boots, set Aryll's telescope carefully on the bedside table, and crawled into the closest bed, closing his eyes and expecting sleep to come and take him away. When it didn't do so immediately he changed positions, curling up on his right side so as not to irritate his sensitive left shoulder.

After thirty minutes of squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to enter the realm of dreams, Kid sat up in exasperation. For whatever reason, sleep eluded him. Glancing over at the other bed, he could tell that Link was asleep and leaned his head heavily on his hand, jealous that his counterpart was blessed with sleep while he was cursed to remain awake.

Kid endeavored to try again and flopped back down, pulling the covers over himself and letting his eyes slide closed. Though his body was still, his mind raced, unable to settle itself down enough for a peaceful slumber. Eventually Kid became fed up with it and resigned to his fate, opening his eyes. However, what he saw before him wasn't what he expected to see.

Water. It surrounded him on all sides. It took another moment for him to realize that he was actually underwater. In fact, he was nestled deep within in its blue depths, as he could barely see the sunshine filtering in through the ripples on the surface. Upon coming to that conclusion his chest began to burn, his lungs begging him for that which he just remembered he needed to survive, air. Firmly holding his breath and determined to reach the surface above, Kid righted himself in the water and pushed off from a nearby rock, kicking his legs and using his arms to propel himself upward. Swimming at this depth was challenging. It weighed his already heavy limbs down and the pressure of the water fought him the whole way to the top. Yet, somehow, he made it, and once he broke the surface his face was instantly pelted with needles of ice cold rain.

Shivering now, for the once lukewarm water had suddenly turned frigid, Kid tried to keep his head above water as the swells in the ocean became more vicious. Dark, foreboding storm clouds swirled in the sky, the only light coming from the occasional lightning bolt that struck some unfortunate thing in the distance.

A scream sounded over the crashing of the storm tossed waves as they slapped against each other and the loud claps of thunder that nearly split the sky in half. Kid knew that scream. It was Aryll's. Frantically treading water and turning every which way in an attempt to find his little sister, Kid shook his wet hair impatiently out of his face. After what felt like an eternity, he spotted her not too far away and fought against the current to reach her.

"Big Brother!" she cried, her tears of terror mixing with the rain falling from the sky. He grabbed her and held her close to him, instructing her to wrap her arms around his neck, so she wouldn't get pulled away by the waves which seemed to be working even harder to tear them apart.

"I'm scared," Aryll whimpered, tightening her grip on him as another flash of lightning lit up the steely sky.

"It's okay. We'll be fine," he assured her, despite not entirely believing it.

' _There has to be a ship we can flag down, or an island that's close by, or something!'_  Kid thought to himself, his eyes desperately searching for their salvation as he struggled to tread water. Suddenly Aryll was wrenched out of his grip by the hungry ocean, and he lunged for her hand before she was dragged under the thrashing waves. For a second he made contact. For a second he held her hand tightly in his. For a second he was hopeful. Then his wet hand slipped out of hers, and she was gone.

"Aryll!" he screamed, knowing that she wouldn't hear him. She couldn't. He felt something latch onto his ankle and before he knew what was happening he was submerged once again. Only this time he wasn't working towards the surface. This time he was being pulled down by force. He hadn't even had time to take a breath. Kid couldn't find the strength to fight his assailant for the salt water stung his eyes, entered his nose and filled his mouth until he began to choke, his pleas for help nothing more than a flurry of bubbles.

Never once did his attacker slow or falter. Kid found himself being pulled faster and faster towards the inky blackness of the bottom of the ocean from which nothing and no one ever returned.

Soon the black consumed his vision, his ears popped from the water pressure, his chest constricted, and it felt as if the entire weight of the world was concentrated there. He wanted it to leave, to drown already, so he didn't have to feel it anymore.

And suddenly, he didn't. Instead a childish giggle rang out above him, and Kid cracked open his eyes to see his little sister peering down at him, her face beaming. Bright white light framed her small form.

"Hee hee! You're always so sleepy Big Brother! C'mon, let's play!" Aryll invited him, skipping out of view, so the sun's blinding rays struck his eyes. Squinting into the light, Kid instinctively brought up his hand to shade his face. Confused, he sat up and looked around, multi-colored dots speckling his vision every time he blinked. Kid quickly came to the conclusion that he was on the beach of Outset. The surf lapping at the shore was a pure, glistening white, the water a clear blue. The azure sky was sparsely dusted with white clouds. No signs of a storm, or that one had even come through.  _'Was it a dream?'_  Kid wondered.

"Big Brother!" Aryll called, reminding him that she was waiting for him.  _'Of course it was a dream.'_ Kid told himself, turning around to look at his little sister. She smiled at him, hopping impatiently from foot to foot _. 'Aryll's right here. She's fine. And I'm obviously alive.'_ Kid allowed himself to smile back as he stood and made his way towards her.

"What do you wanna play?" Kid asked his sister.

"Uhhmm….how about…" Aryll scrunched up her face in thought, "How about good guys verses bad guys?"

"Okay, but we'll need more people to play. It's no fun with just two," Kid replied.

Aryll shook her head, pouting, "We can too play with only two of us!"

"But then we can't both be good guys," Kid pointed out.

"I know. That's why you'll be the bad guy," Aryll announced, pointing at him with her telescope as if officially bestowing him the title.

"But I don't want to be the bad guy," Kid said, thinking that his sister was being uncharacteristically unfair. "Let's just get Joel and Zill to play with us."

"But they can't!" Aryll insisted.

"Yes, they can. Let's go find them," Kid said, setting out towards the bridge that connected the two sections of the island. Aryll trailed reluctantly behind him, dragging her feet in the sand. It was only then that Kid noticed how empty the island felt. Sure, not many people inhabited it, but there was always someone else outside to strike up a friendly conversation with. Never was the island so quiet, so sad, so…lifeless.

When they reached the bridge, there was no sign of the two little boys that usually played there. He turned to his sister who was humming quietly to herself.

"Aryll, where is everyone?" Kid questioned her. For some reason, he felt that she knew.

"Gone. That's why we can't play with anyone else," Aryll answered, looking up at him with a small smile, "I like it best when it's just us playing together anyway."

"What do you mean by gone?" Kid pressed. Something wasn't right. He could feel it.

"Dead," Aryll replied simply, almost as if she didn't understand what that meant.

Kid was horrified. "D-dead? How…how did that happen?"

"You really don't remember?" Aryll wondered, tilting her head to the side with a concerned expression coming over her little face.

"No. I don't. What happened?" Kid demanded, his terror transforming into impatience.

She giggled, and Kid had to refrain from shouting at her. What was she laughing about? Was she playing a trick on him? Had he just fallen for it? Probably. Kid decided to go along with it and waited for her to answer him. "You killed them," Aryll announced finally, her tone of voice almost playful. He refused to go alone with  _that_. Aryll wouldn't make such an evil thing a part of an innocent prank.

"I…" Kid trailed off, unable to finish the sentence as he looked down at the water beneath the wood of the bridge. The liquid below was a dark crimson that lacked the distinct transparency normal water showcased. Mortified, Kid looked to his little sister who continued to smile at him. It was a warm smile filled fit to burst with childish innocence. Behind her he could see wet, crimson footprints in the sand.

Looking down at her feet he was surprised to find no trace of red. However, when he redirected his gaze to his own feet, scarlet caked the bottom of his boots like mud. Unable to take anymore, Kid shut his eyes and sank down to his knees.  _'This isn't real. I'm dreaming. Wake up! Wake up!_ ' he ordered himself. Daring to open his eyes again he was dismayed to see that nothing had changed. The scene before him was the same. Without knowing what else to do, Kid ran. He ran away from his little sister, or what should have been his little sister. It wasn't her though. He knew it wasn't. It couldn't be. Aryll would be so scared right now. Just like he was.

The fake Aryll yelled for him to wait, but that only gave him more incentive to run faster. He cleared the bridge and kicked up sand as he ran across the small stretch of beach. Where to go? Where to go? Where _could_  he go? He pinched himself hard as he ran, hoping to wake himself up for he now knew that he must be dreaming. He had to be. This couldn't possibly be real. Could it?

"Big Brother, please! Wait for me!" Aryll cried. Her voice echoed in his head. It seemed to echo all around the empty island, across the never ending wine red sea, relentlessly pursuing him. Kid unsheathed his sword, intending to cut down the trees blocking his path. However, just as he moved to do so, his eye caught the liquid smeared on the metal, and he instantly dropped the blade, stumbling back in an attempt to distance himself from it.

Closing his eyes once again, he attempted to slow his breathing.  _'Maybe if I really concentrate I can get out of here,'_  Kid thought. However, his concentration faltered and his heart skipped a beat when Aryll wrapped her arms around him from behind in a tight embrace.

"Don't leave me alone!" she pleaded. Kid didn't have the heart to pull away from her. What if she really was Aryll?  _'She's not!'_  Kid reminded himself, squeezing his eyes shut tight as if the action would help him realize the truth,  _'She's just in my head, on my mind. That's it. She's nothing but an illusion, a figment of my imagination. Just like this place. I'm not really on Outset. I'm not home. I'm very far away from home, from my sister, from everyone.'_

Kid's eyes snapped open in the darkness. It took him a second to realize where he was, but once he did, he noted how tangled his blankets had gotten around his midsection. Not his little sister's arms. Just blankets. He took in a shaky breath and let it out. Disentangling himself from the many thin sheets he had on top of him, Kid threw his legs over the side of the bed and quietly padded over to the washroom which was conveniently connected directly to their room via a wooden door.

Thankfully, a couple candles were already lit, so Kid had enough light to see by as he splashed cool water on his face in an attempt to calm down. His heart was still beating faster than normal, his breaths short and uneven. Kid was determined not to disturb Link though. He'd already been enough of a jerk to him earlier, so the least he could do was let him sleep even if Kid himself was having trouble doing just that.

Kid raised his head, gazing wearily into the mirror before him. Even by the light of the candles it was enough for him to witness exactly how tired and disheveled he looked. A flash of red momentarily lit up in his reflection's eyes, and Kid shook his head.  _'Great. Now I'm seeing things,'_ he thought. Returning his gaze back to the mirror to confirm that it had just been a remnant of his bad dream, Kid was startled when he saw red, glowing orbs peering back into his own. He leaned closer to the mirror, squinting his eyes. Surely he was going crazy.

Hands shot out and wrapped around his throat. Nope. Definitely not crazy. Kid instinctively grabbed the hands by the wrists, trying to pry them off of his windpipe. Breathing became increasingly difficult, so Kid couldn't do much more than stumble back on his feet, pulling another version of himself out of the mirror. A version with fervent crimson eyes and a black tunic.

"O-off!" Kid barely managed to squeak out the command. However, his assailant paid no mind to it and continued to choke him. Colors swam before his eyes and black rimmed his vision. Still, his enemy would not release him. Instead, he was slammed hard into the wall. Kid blinked. That was it. He blinked, and suddenly he was grabbing at nothing, lying flat on his back in bed.

Kid cautiously sat up and took in his surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place. The fire crackled low, providing less light than it had earlier. All of the sconces were now devoid of light but he guessed that was because they had burned out. Despite that, he wasn't going back to bed. What if he closed his eyes and some new horror awaited him? He knew he couldn't handle it. Not alone.  _'Maybe I should wake Link,'_  Kid pondered,  _'He won't be that mad, right?'_

Deciding to take the risk, Kid hopped out of bed and nearly tripped getting over to where his counterpart slept, partly because he was in a terrified rush, partly because it was dark, and he couldn't see that well.

"Link," Kid whispered. When his friend didn't stir, he dared to raise his voice a little louder.

This time he was met with success as Link groaned and rolled over to face him. "What is it?" Link mumbled, still half asleep.

Kid bit his lip.  _'I had a nightmare,'_  sounded childish in his mind, and he was sure it would sound even dumber were he to actually utter the words aloud. He could tell that Link was going to drop off back to sleep if he didn't say something soon so Kid improvised. "I can't sleep," he claimed.

"You were sleeping earlier, weren't you?" Link muttered, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he propped himself up on an elbow.

"Sort of," Kid replied.

"Kid, now's not the time for games," Link sighed, his voice tired.

"I..." Kid trailed off. He knew this was a bad idea. Seriously, it wasn't like he'd never had nightmares before, so why was he letting it get to him now? "Never mind. Sorry." Kid took a couple steps back and watched as Link laid down again. He then turned around to go back to his own bed but bumped into someone. Startled, Kid jumped back and looked up. There stood Ghirahim, his black saber pointed dangerously close to Kid's neck.

"Sweet dreams," Ghirahim purred before lowering the sword so it was poised just over Kid's chest and then thrusting the blade forward.

Kid let out a short, involuntary scream, confused when he found himself falling. At this point, he was prepared for an endless pit of doom, so he was surprised when the floor caught him with a dull thud. Stunned and disoriented by his new position, Kid didn't dare to move.  _'Am I still dreaming?'_  he wondered. He waited for the floor to suddenly cease to be. After all, his mind was still playing with him. Wasn't it?

By now, the line between reality and dreams was worn thin, frayed and unraveling to the point where Kid could no longer distinguish between the two. Was this real? Was the hard floor beneath him tangible or was it simply a place his tired mind willed into existence?

It was then that he realized someone was speaking and their words were directed at him. The thudding in his chest was so loud that he was sure the other person in the room could hear it too, as it practically shook his body with the force of it. Kid attempted to quiet his breathing as well, which was quick and ragged to his ears, but he quickly found that he didn't possess the knowledge on how to even it. Somehow, he'd forgotten what it felt like to breathe normally. Despite this, his ears managed to hear the voice just enough so Kid could identify the speaker as Link.

But was it really Link? That thought caused him to voluntarily tune out to everything but his own isolated mind.  _'What if he's not really Link like Aryll wasn't really Aryll? What if he's half dead on his feet? What if he's going to turn into a monster and kill me? What if…?_ ' Kid thought, unable to decide if he should run or find something to defend himself with. If he remembered correctly, his sword and shield were on the other side of the bed. If he could just reach them…

No. It was better to stay still. Stay quiet. If he was still dreaming, then something bad was guaranteed to occur as soon as he took any form of action, whether it be a verbal reply or a physical stand. It was like an unspoken rule of the universe that constantly worked against him, but was it working against him in the real world or an imaginary one in his head? As far as Kid was concerned, silence was safety, and it was for that very reason he clung to it like a lifeline.

However, Link, if it truly was him, persisted in his mission to get Kid to respond in some way, and Kid was finding it increasingly difficult to resist the temptation to reply as the seconds slowly withered away. It would be so easy to make a small sound or pick himself up from the floor, but he knew that in doing so, he would be surrendering his safety.

He was okay right now. Nothing threatened to hurt him, and although he was scared, as long as he didn't do anything to alert the fates that he was there, nothing would happen. That is, he was pretty sure nothing would happen. His mind controlled the dream, right? So as long as he  _believed_  that he would be okay, laying there silent on the floor, then he would be.

Without any prior warning, or perhaps there was one, he wouldn't know otherwise because he hadn't been listening, a hand descended onto his shoulder. Kid automatically flinched, bracing himself for the feeling of claws digging into his flesh and inflicting new-found pain into his already sore body. To his bewilderment, the touch was light, uncertain, as it rested there on his shoulder.

Now Kid chose to listen to the voice that spoke. He didn't know why he felt inclined to do so, but, for some inexplicable reason, he wanted to listen. Unfortunately, he chose the wrong time to do so, for Link was no longer speaking.

Feeling ridiculous for asking but not being able to bear not knowing, Kid prepared himself for the continuance of his chain of nightmares and whispered, "Is this a dream?"

"No. You're awake," Link answered, his voice a calm sort of quiet. Was that really true or was Link just saying that because that's what his dream self wanted to hear? He didn't have any time to think about it further for Link went on to explain, "You were having a nightmare. I was about to wake you, but you fell off the bed before I could."

That certainly explained his current position, but part of him still doubted his counterpart's words no matter how soft spoken they were. At this point, he couldn't trust that Link's concern was real. There was a possibility that it was all a trick, and once Kid fell for it, the endless nightmares would resume.

The room was also darker than it had been in his precious dreams. That had to mean something. There wasn't a single light to provide the room with illumination. Kid had never been a fan of the dark. It was so open, and yet so claustrophobic at the same time. Finding what lurked within the blackness before it found you was oftentimes a losing battle that Kid always opted to shut his eyes on. He did this now, fully aware of the fact that it was still dark. He didn't know why the darkness behind his closed eyelids was more tolerable than the endless black of the room. It was the same shade of black, but somehow it seemed less threatening, if only because he could control it to some degree. Nothing could jump out at him from the darkness his closed eyelids created. Absolutely nothing except the images his memory couldn't help but recall.

A flash of red was enough of a reminder to startle Kid into opening his eyes and sitting up. However, the red wasn't consumed by the darkness like he wanted. It persisted in a lighter shade, and Kid scrambled to his feet.

"Wait a second! Relax, Kid. It's just my lantern." Link exclaimed, grabbing Kid's arm before he could bolt. It took a second for Link's words to register, but once they did, Kid's wild gaze settled on the only light source in the room. The tiny red and orange flame burned furiously behind protective glass, illuminating half of Link's face and throwing shadows across the rest of it. "It's just my lantern, see?" Link repeated, lifting up the object by its handle and setting it down on the bedside table as if to prove that it was real. Kid's gaze lingered on the single flame, as if he didn't quite trust that it wouldn't grow into a blazing inferno in the next few seconds.

"Calm down. You're awake now," Link assured him, directing Kid to sit on the edge of the bed.

"P-prove it," Kid ordered, failing to hold his voice steady as he sat down. Part of him felt that he was awake, but his conscience warned him to be cautious.

"Prove..." Link trailed off, his tone disbelieving. "Kid, I promise you, you're not dreaming."

"How do I know that?" Kid wanted to know.

"You know, because I just told you three times," Link answered honestly, "Why do you think that you're not awake?"

"Because I had a nightmare and then I woke up, but I didn't really because I was still in it, and then I woke up again, and thought I was awake for real, but I wasn't. And now I woke up again, and you're telling me I'm awake but…" Kid rambled as Link attempted to follow.

"But you're not sure because the other times it was fake," Link finished for him, sitting beside Kid on the bed with a thoughtful look on his face. Kid nodded, beginning to doubt that he was still dreaming since Link seemed to be acting genuine.

"So does something usually happen by now?" Link wondered, after a minute of silence.

"Yeah," Kid admitted, looking around the dark room. The lantern's light didn't reach very far so distinguishing would be threats was nearly impossible.

Link took a quick look around too and then announced, "I don't see anything, and we're still here. I believe that you're awake. Do you?"

Kid considered it. Usually something  _did_  happen by now, and nothing had. That didn't necessarily mean he wasn't dreaming, it just meant that he wasn't having a nightmare. Then again, none of his normal dreams were ever this tense, and no one ever tried to calm him down in his dreams before. They never had to because he either didn't need to be comforted or didn't expect to be. Kid's tense posture gradually relaxed as he came to the conclusion that he must be awake.

"Yes," Kid responded.

"Good. Now, breathe," Link instructed him, "Deep breaths, not short ones."

Until now, Kid hadn't noticed that he was practically hyperventilating. He immediately tried to slow his breathing, but now that he was conscious of it, he couldn't seem to control it. He also became increasingly aware of the fact that he was trembling as well, but he couldn't stop that either.

"In through your nose, out through your mouth," Link supplied, slipping an arm around Kid's shoulders and pulling him closer as if that would help keep him still. Kid closed his mouth and inhaled through his nose, attempting to hold it since it wouldn't be a deep breath otherwise. He found that he had to take a breath and therefore quickly let the air out of his mouth and tried again. Each repetition brought him closer to breathing normally, and after five minutes he regained control of himself.

"Are you ready to go back to sleep now?" Link asked him.

Kid didn't think he'd ever be ready to go back to sleep. Sleep meant dreaming and dreaming meant nightmares. His feelings must have shown on his face, for Link changed his question.

"Do you want to tell me what your nightmare was about?" Link offered.

"No," Kid muttered, knowing that Link would hear him no matter how softly he spoke. Kid didn't want to think about his nightmares so talking about them was also out of the question. Unfortunately for him, he found himself unable to think about anything else.

"Are you sure? You're just going to keep thinking about it until you do," Link pointed out.

"How do you know I'm thinking about it right now?" Kid challenged.

"Because you're talking about it," Link said, a smile forming on his face.

"No, I'm not. You are," Kid argued, pulling away from his counterpart.

"Hey, I'm not trying to fight you," Link informed him, his smile fading into a frown.

"Then what are trying to do?" Kid wondered. Now that he was awake and alert, Kid's embarrassment was swiftly escalating. Nightmares were far from a new experience for him and, while he'd had terrifying ones before, none had affected him to such an extreme degree as this. The fact that he hadn't been able to control himself upon waking and had needed to be calmed down by Link made it worse. He didn't want anyone to see him like that. Especially Link. He and Tetra were trying so hard to prove that they weren't children that needed to be looked after and cared for twenty four seven as Link and the princess believed they were. If there had been any doubt earlier about him blowing their chances of getting their counterparts to view them differently, then there was no doubt surrounding that fact now. He had blown it.

"I'm just trying to get your mind off of your nightmare," Link explained. As nice a gesture as it was, Kid knew that it was futile. If, by some divine intervention, Link managed the feat of getting him to forget the nightmares that had awoken him tonight, it still wouldn't solve the problem of his waking nightmare. His sister and friends were gone, and while he'd like to think that he was done lamenting that fact, he wasn't. Not even close.

"I'm fine, Link. Thanks," Kid announced, plastering a fake smile on his face and hoping that it would be persuasive enough to get his friend to leave him be. Judging by Link's expression, it wasn't, but his counterpart got to his feet nonetheless.

"Have it your way," Link sighed, picking up his lantern and extinguishing it. The pair of them were instantly plunged into darkness. Link parted for his own bed, this action communicated solely by the tell-tale creak of the floorboards expertly concealed beneath the carpet. Kid knew what his counterpart was doing and it wouldn't work. Just because it was dark meant nothing. He had holed himself up the pitch black library earlier. He'd been fine then, and he was fine now.

To prove it, he laid back down, making to pull the blankets over himself and realizing a second later that they had fallen off the bed with him earlier.  _"Doesn't matter. I'm not sleeping anyway,"_  he told himself as he rolled over onto his back. Kid then laid there, wide awake, and began his staring contest with the dark as he waited for morning to arrive.

* * *

When the sun finally rose, it did so reluctantly, in Kid's opinion anyway. Its ascension seemed belated but that probably had something to do with the fact that he was tired and waiting for the sun to rise was akin to watching paint dry. Nevertheless, morning arrived with plenty of birdsong to accompany it. Not the cawing of seagulls, he was sure to note.

His empty stomach immediately reminded him of his negligence to it, but he did his best to ignore it. It had been doing that periodically throughout the night and had only gotten worse each time. However, memories of his nightmares refused to vanish, rendering any sort of appetite he otherwise would have had nonexistent. What if one of his nightmares was a premonition? Tetra got them sometimes, and he knew that she didn't feel well afterwards. However, he had no idea what her symptoms usually were and asking her seemed inconsiderate.  _'I'm probably just being paranoid,'_  Kid told himself.

Sitting up and glancing at Link, he saw that his counterpart was still sleeping. Kid couldn't bear the thought of waiting to get up any longer though, so he quietly slid out of bed. His eyes instantly fell on Aryll's telescope which must have rolled off of the bedside table during the night without him realizing it. He refused to let it rest on the floor any longer and picked it up, carefully replacing it on the bedside table. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he regarded the telescope. To him, the object seemed duller, the black eyes of the skillfully painted twin seagulls on the side more lifeless, the red and yellow paint less vibrant than usual. It was almost as if the telescope itself was just as sad as he was about Aryll's absence.

His thoughts were interrupted by a shout. Kid jumped and turned to face the sound just in time to see Midna come flying out of the shadows by their door.

"Wake up, heroes! There's trouble!" she exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Kid asked, his despair temporarily forgotten as he watched Midna streak past him towards where Link was just awakening.

"Yeah, why are you waking us up? It's, like, dawn," Link complained, his voice still drugged with sleep.

"Try twilight," Midna corrected him.

"Huh?" Kid wondered, puzzled, but getting to his feet anyway.

"Midna, it's too early for riddles. Just tell us what you mean," Link requested, holding back a yawn.

"No time for that. You'll know what I mean when you see it. Come on, to Zelda's room!" Midna declared, disappearing into Link's shadow as if ending the conversation.

"I guess we're going to Zelda's room then," Link announced, getting out of bed. Kid tugged on his boots and followed Link to the door in silence, not even trying to mask the fact that he'd been awake for quite a while. The two of them exited the room and hurried to the Princess of Hyrule's bedchambers with a cautious urgency. At first Kid expected it to be some kind of joke, waking them up early, not that he'd been sleeping, and encouraging them to make haste to the princess' room. In the end it would all just turn out to be some scheme cooked up by the girls to brighten his mood. If so, the joke was on them because his mood adamantly refused to improve.

When they reached the double doors leading to Princess Zelda's room they weren't very surprised to find two guards stationed there. Kid briefly contemplated an apology but then thought better of it. These men had no way of knowing that it was he who had knocked them unconscious a week ago with a boomerang in order to spring a surprise visit on the princess. Besides, they might not have even been the same guards as last time. In Kid's opinion, all of the soldiers looked alike but that was probably the point of the uniforms.

"Halt," both guards ordered, locking their spears in an X formation in front of the door.

"The princess is expecting us," Link informed them.

"The princess is expecting you?" the one on the right repeated in a tone that implied he wasn't convinced Link was telling the truth.

"Yes," Link confirmed, and Kid nodded his agreement. The two sentries shared a glance. They both removed their weapons from the barrier they'd created, and the one on the left rapped twice on the door closest to him before cracking it open and asking if the princess was indeed expecting someone.

"Yes, let them in," came the princess' reply which provoked the guard to wave them inside.

"So where's the fire?" Link wondered as soon as they were both inside and the door had slammed shut behind them.

"Out on the balcony. Look to the right," Princess Zelda said, ignoring Link's levity and motioning them both to follow her. Even though it was early in the morning, Kid was still a bit taken aback to see the princess in a nightgown, albeit a rather fancy one. Her light brown hair was slightly mussed as it fell around her shoulders and down her back. Seeing the princess looking so informal was a new experience but he quickly got over it and trailed behind Link as they made their way to the back of the room.

The morning air was chilly as they stepped out onto the balcony, but Kid's tunic kept him warm enough. He immediately noted that his best friend, Tetra, was already there. Like the princess, she too was garbed in a nightgown. It was a soft cream color with lace decorating the hem and collar, and looked to be just a little too big. Kid could only assume that Princess Zelda had allowed her to borrow it, especially since he knew that Tetra wouldn't wear such a thing by choice. However, it was much more basic than her other dress, so Tetra probably viewed it as an improvement. She didn't spare him so much as a glance as he leaned on the railing beside her and peered down at the land below. From here, there was a perfect view of the town and its center, already coming alive with the early risers. Rather than watch the town slowly wake up, Kid searched the sky for any indications of a bad omen. Straight ahead and to the left the sky was a light baby blue and peachy pink as the sun crept steadily higher in the sky. Looking to the right, there was a major contrast. The pastel colors gave way to a deep gold and dark plum purple, bordering black.

"Oh…I get it now. Twilight," Link said matter-of-factly as Midna reappeared at his side.

"Yeah, and by the looks of it, it's already covering the entirety of the Eldin Province," Midna added.

"How long has it been there?" Link wondered.

"We really have no way of knowing," Princess Zelda admitted, "It could have just appeared there a few minutes ago, or it could have been there for hours."

"It wasn't there last night?" Link checked.

"I didn't see it," Princess Zelda replied.

"Look, what really matters is dispelling it as soon as possible, not figuring out how long it's been there," Midna interjected.

"Okay, let me grab my stuff, and then we'll go," Link sighed, getting what Midna was hinting at.

"Wait a moment, Link," Zelda ordered, "Even if you two do manage to get the Eldin Province back to normal, who's to say that Zant won't just go back and shroud it in twilight again?"

"As usual, Zelda's right," Midna reluctantly agreed, "We need to take care of Zant once and for all if we don't want this to keep happening." She gestured at the gloomy skyline to the west for emphasis.

"What do you suggest then?" Link asked the princess, "I doubt Zant's just going to show up saying, 'Here I am! Come and kill me!'"

"Well, since the Eldin Province has already fallen into the grasp of twilight, then Zant is most likely advancing towards the closest spirit spring to cover the next province in twilight, which means, if he has any sense, he'll be targeting Lanayru," the Princess of Hyrule explained.

"But aren't we in the Lanayru Province right  _now_?" Tetra inquired, her voice effectively betraying her worry at being trapped in the unnatural twilight, though Kid didn't know what she was so worried for.  _He_  was the one that would turn into a wolf if the province was consumed by twilight.

"Yes, which is why I'm suggesting that Link and Midna head to Lanayru's Spring as soon as possible. Zant is probably making his way there as we speak, if he hasn't reached it already," Princess Zelda said.

"Got it. We'll head to Lanayru then," Link announced, "Hopefully we can catch Zant before he can do any more damage."

"For goddesses' sakes be careful," Princess Zelda warned.

"Relax. Zant's not as powerful as Ganondorf or Ghirahim," Midna disregarded the princess's concern with a roll of her eyes, "He just thinks he is. Don't worry, we'll actually kill him this time." After last night, discussions of killing, even of people who somewhat deserved it, wasn't a topic Kid wished to be participating in or listening to. The way Midna said it especially unnerved him. It was like she had no remorse for planning to kill Zant, but considering everything he had done to her, Kid couldn't really blame her. His mind briefly flashed to the memory of his sister informing him ever so sweetly that he had murdered everyone on the island, perhaps even everyone on the Great Sea. It took more than nine people to produce that much-

"You okay there?" Link wondered, effectively pulling Kid out of his thoughts. Glancing up at his counterpart, Kid realized that his uneasiness must have shown on his face, and he nodded mutely, leaning back into the railing until it poked him almost painfully in his spine. Link and Midna turned to leave, and Kid almost asked to accompany them. However, he knew that without proper food and rest, he was no good to them. Besides, they had experience with Zant that he did not, and he wasn't in a fighting mood to begin with. So Kid stayed where he was, flanked by two princesses, and watched his companions go, feeling more like the child everyone saw him as rather than the hero he was supposed to be.


	3. Pirate Princess

Waiting had never been one of her strong suits and after everything that had transpired it was the one thing that had not changed. Princess or not, she loathed waiting. It was filled with every emotion she wished to discard. Doubt. Apprehension. Worry. They were all present along with many more. Tetra barely glanced up at the Princess of Hyrule as she re-entered her grand bedroom, this time with a pile of books of all varying thickness stacked precariously in her arms. She had hoped that her counterpart would return with breakfast, not only because she was hungry, but because she wished to persuade Kid to eat something. Her best friend was notorious for having somewhat of a bottomless pit for a stomach, so his lack of appetite concerned her.

She allowed her gaze to briefly rest on Kid. She'd been stealing glances at him ever since Link and Midna left, and she was almost positive that he had noticed on a few occasions. She desperately wanted to say something to break down the invisible walls Kid had erected to keep them all away, but every time she was sure that she'd found the correct words to use, they turned to dust when she looked at him. Whatever she said wouldn't be strong enough. However, this time was different. Her words didn't vanish, they simply never made it out of her mouth because she knew he wouldn't hear them.

It wasn't uncommon for Kid to be caught napping at home, especially when he shouldn't have been, but finding him doing it here, slumped in one of the princess's plush arm chairs, was very different. It wasn't laziness. He was truly exhausted, and she wondered if he had slept at all last night.

"Hopefully I can find something helpful among all of these," Princess Zelda let out a breath as she allowed the stack of books to unceremoniously slip out of her arms and scatter across her perfectly made bed.

"If you were going to bring back all of these then wouldn't it be easier for us to go to the library instead of hauling them here?" Tetra wondered, turning around on the trunk she sat atop at the foot of the bed and reaching over to grab a thin book with no visible title.

"It would be easier, yes," Princess Zelda admitted, brushing loose strands of her hair out of her face, "However, Link and I promised my father yesterday that we would have you change back to how you normally look as soon as possible so as not to draw too much attention from the staff."

"But you know I can't do that, right? Why would you promise that?" Tetra wanted to know, nearly dropping the book in astonishment. This was the first time she was hearing of this promise. Shouldn't it have been mentioned earlier? Then again, they'd all been worried about Kid yesterday. There hadn't been much time for anything else.

"I know that now," Princess Zelda sighed, "I just realized last night that you probably do not know how to change back depending on what you said the other day about your Triforce of Wisdom and its fragmentation."

"So what are these?" Tetra waved the thin volume she was holding in the air.

"Some are spell books, some are journals," the princess answered sitting down on the edge of the bed and sifting through the pile.

"Journals? Whose journals?" Tetra inquired as she curiously opened the book she held. The pages were slightly yellowed at the edges, its age beginning to show. From the looks of it, she was holding one of the journals if the scrawling black ink was any indication. To her disappointment, she couldn't read any of it. She'd been half hoping that she could, as if being Princess Zelda would grant her some unattainable knowledge.

"My ancestor's, or…ours, I suppose. They must have used the Triforce at some point." Princess Zelda pointed out.

"Yeah…but I don't think anyone has ever split it up before," Tetra said, carefully shutting the journal and placing it in her lap, "I mean, the old king in my world obviously did, but that was only because he had to."

"Right, but he had to know how to do it somehow," the princess replied, picking up a rather thick volume and beginning to thumb through it, "It must have been recorded somewhere in the past."

"So…this is the plan?" Tetra asked after a pregnant pause. "Scour a bunch of old books for an answer?"

"Do you have a better one?" Princess Zelda invited, glancing up from the pages she was skimming. The question was genuine, open, not at all condescending or rude.

Tetra reluctantly shook her head. "No. I mean…I want to help, but I can't read any of it."

"Not all of them are in modern Hylian. Some are written in ancient Hylian," Princess Zelda informed her as if that changed anything.

"I can't read ancient Hylian either," Tetra confided, "That's Medli's job." It figures that the one time the Rito girl could actually be helpful, she wasn't here.

"Then there really is nothing you can do with the books," Princess Zelda stated, turning back to her own volume, "You are welcome to find something else to occupy yourself with. I will tell you if I find anything."

Tetra nodded, feeling useless yet again. Seeing as she was confined to the princess's bedchambers there wasn't much she  _could_ do. Tetra wandered around the room anyway, hating the thought of staying still almost as much as she despised waiting for any length of time. Those two activities walked hand in hand, it seemed.

There was only so much fascination she could take from the décor of the room. It was very large for one, but not uncomfortably so. There was an entire area dedicated to seating in front of the light grey brick fireplace which currently had a modest fire crackling within it. The baby blue carpet was soft beneath her bare feet, and Tetra thought it was probably the most unremarkable feature of the room.

The most remarkable was probably the princess's bed which was far larger than it needed to be, lavender silk draped like curtains across the white bed posts that were practically pillars themselves. The bed itself was overflowing with more decorative pillows than was necessary or could have passed as comfortable. There was a point where soft fabrics and feathers became a nuisance, after all.

Besides the balcony doors and the doors that led to the hallway, the princess's bedchambers contained two smaller doors, both wooden. Tetra didn't know what lay behind them but she had to guess that one led to a closet since she couldn't imagine her counterpart stuffing her many ornate dresses inside the drawers of the painted dresser that was pushed up against one of the walls. The room also held a desk which Tetra thought was much bigger than the one she owned at home. It was also far more cluttered than hers, and she would have taken the time to look through the mess of papers if she had any hope of reading a single word. Seeing as she didn't, Tetra could nothing but continue to circle the room in search of something that could capture her attention and hold it for however long it took the princess to find an answer.

Her wandering quickly transformed into pacing as the minutes ticked by and stretched into the better part of an hour. Tetra stopped where she was, adjusting the square neckline of the cream colored nightgown she wore. The lace sewn to the hem and neckline irritated her despite the way the dress hung a little too limply on her form. Zelda claimed it was the smallest she could find from when she was younger since the rest of her childhood clothes had been stashed away long ago and just digging out this article of clothing had been difficult enough. Tetra was beginning to wish for her fancy dress back and wondered if it had been cleaned up yet like her counterpart promised it would be yesterday.

After asking, Tetra discovered that her dress was now spotless. She was allowed to change behind a room divider that her counterpart had used earlier in order to don her own regal attire in private. Putting the dress back on wasn't as challenging as Tetra imagined it would be, considering that she wasn't used to royal garb. Glancing at herself in the full length mirror provided, Tetra was convinced that the glass reflected a stranger back at her. Until now, she'd never had the opportunity to view herself in a mirror while in her princess form. Seeing herself like this, made it worse somehow, but she couldn't look away. Was this the way everyone else had felt when they'd first seen her like this?

Stepping closer to the mirror, Tetra placed the golden tiara on her head. A sparkling, hot pink jewel dominated its center. No matter how real it looked or felt, Tetra decided that it was fake. The girl looking back at her with wide, innocent eyes wasn't her, no matter how many people tried to tell her otherwise. She wasn't as innocent as her eyes foretold. She was simply in disguise right now, pretending to be something she was not. As soon as she figured out how to take it off, she would, but for now she had to pretend a little longer.

Tearing her eyes away from her reflection, Tetra smoothed out her dress and forced herself to slip her feet into her discarded pink heels. If she was going to pretend, she might as well do it right. Besides, they made her feel taller, which, in turn, made her feel more important.

Almost as soon as Tetra emerged from behind the divider, she resumed her pacing. Her thoughts drifted to yesterday's events without her consent. The warm hum of the Triforce under her fingertips, the horrible realization that she'd been too late, the Imprisoned…that one stuck with her the most out of all of it. Losing…she knew that was real. It was possible, but The Imprisoned? She had no idea what it was or why she had even seen it. Maybe the princess knew? There was only one way to find out.

After glancing at the chair Kid was resting in to confirm that he was still in the grasp of sleep, she made her way over to the princess and reclaimed her seat on the smooth wooden trunk. It reminded her vaguely of a treasure chest.

"Zelda, I have a question," Tetra announced to get the princess's attention. Princess Zelda looked up from the leather bound book she held, waiting for Tetra to speak.

"You didn't see anything strange yesterday? I mean, when you were unconscious?" Tetra asked timidly, picking at the detailed embroidery on the banner hanging from her waist.

"No, I don't think so. I wasn't dreaming if that is what you are asking. It's just a blank space of nothing between the time Ghirahim showed up and when I awoke after everything was over. Why do you ask?" Princess Zelda wondered.

"Just because…I saw something yesterday that no one else seemed to see. Maybe I was tired or something, but it was still pretty strange," Tetra explained, not quite wanting to spit out the truth for fear of her counterpart thinking her inane.

"What did you see?" Princess Zelda prompted.

"I…"  _'I don't know,'_  she wanted to say, but then she realized that wasn't true. She did, in fact, know what she saw, or at least, she could name it. That had to count for something. "It was a huge monster I've never seen before that seemed to be covered in black scales. Its entire head was practically a mouth with sharp white teeth, and I don't think it had arms, just legs, but it was easily as tall as a building. For some reason I knew that it was called The Imprisoned, but I don't know what that means. I was hoping you might."

"How did you know what it was called if you've never seen it before?" Zelda queried.

"I honestly have no idea," Tetra replied, "I just  _knew_  somehow."

"That is definitely peculiar..." Princess Zelda trailed off in thought, "Especially since that name is beginning to sound familiar to  _me_  now."

"Familiar in what way?" Tetra pressed.

Zelda only shook her head and turned her attention back to the spell book in her hands. "We'll talk about it later. One mystery at a time please, Tetra."

Tetra then leaned her head on her hand as she sat cross-legged, which probably wasn't the appropriate way to sit in a floor length dress, and stared at the many books her counterpart had yet to delve through. This was going to take forever.

* * *

A few hours later the princess did request breakfast to be sent to her room, and though it was meant to be only enough for two, the chef's version of portion size made sure that it was enough for four. Kid had awakened since then, but to Tetra's annoyance, his aloofness persisted.

"You can't tell me you're not hungry," Tetra admonished, waving a piece of toast tantalizingly in her best friend's face. "You haven't had a bite to eat since breakfast yesterday morning, and even then I distinctly remember you not eating all that much because you claimed you were too nervous."

A shrug was the only reward she received for her fifth effort of the morning. If she'd felt like her normal feisty self she would have long ago thrown the toast in his face and ordered him to eat it. However, her more reserved side simply set the food back on the edge of her plate as her eyes scanned its contents for something more tempting.

"Tetra, he'll eat when he eats. Just worry about yourself," Princess Zelda interjected, barely raising her head from the dusty journal it was currently buried in.

"But-" Tetra attempted to argue. Her counterpart beat her to it.

"But nothing. Kid will have to eat eventually. Until then, we can't force feed him, so just leave him be," Zelda advised. Tetra turned her attention back to Kid who had now averted his gaze to the floor. As much as she didn't want to accept it, Princess Zelda was correct. If he didn't want to eat, they couldn't force him. He had obviously sunk into a depression, and, without a way home, there was nothing she could do to improve his mood.

Tetra resigned to that fact and began to consume the food she had piled on her plate, reflecting on exactly how many problems they currently had at the moment. She was stuck as a princess, their friends had been whisked back home without them, and now they were trapped here while Ghirahim did whatever he pleased to the Great Sea. On top of all that, Zant was causing trouble being his infamous villain self, and Kid was lamenting his little sister, friends, and their home as if they were already dead, thus neglecting pretty much everything one needed to survive. That last one may just have scared her the most, for if she must be stuck here for the rest of her life, she didn't want to be alone.

Tetra finished eating far too quickly in her opinion, for it left her with absolutely nothing to do. Trying to engage Kid in any way was a lost cause, but Tetra endeavored to try it, while being quiet of course, since her counterpart seemed to get peeved any time a loud noise from the hallway bashed its way through her bedroom's wide double doors.

"Hey, Kid," Tetra said, a small surge of elation flowing through her when he made eye contact with her, "Want to play a card game?" Cards were a favorite pastime of pirates, and when Kid had come to live with her and her crew, they had made it a priority to teach him the art of playing cards. The truth was, he wasn't half bad, and had almost beat her on a few occasions. In fact, he would have won a couple games if she hadn't cheated. This time she would play fair though, even let him win. Perhaps it would give him a little much needed confidence.

"Do you even have cards to play with?" he asked her, causing Tetra to realize that she, in fact, did not.

"Hmm…no…" Tetra admitted. "Hey, Zelda. Do you have a deck of cards in here?"

"No," the princess replied distractedly, flipping faster through the journal in her hands as if that would yield swifter results.

' _Well, there goes that idea,'_  Tetra thought, exasperated.

"What are you looking for exactly?" Kid asked. Tetra was a surprised that Kid had actually posed a question at all but turned to her counterpart for her answer.

"At the moment, I'm searching for a means to change Tetra back to the way she normally is, but…it's proving futile so far," Princess Zelda sighed, snapping shut the book a bit harder than necessary.

"You've been reading for a while now. Haven't you found  _anything_?" Tetra pressed.

"Oh, I've found plenty, but none of it will aid our cause, I'm afraid," the Princess of Hyrule said, picking up another decrepit book.

"Have you found anything about returning us to our world?" Tetra ventured.

"I have looked for that too," the princess assured her, "Unfortunately, nothing about your world existing is even recorded." Tetra thought that was a given.  _Obviously_ no one in this world knew about the Great Sea at any point in time. Neither world was supposed to be aware of the other. Ever.

The three of them settled into a tense silence as the princess flipped pages turned delicate by time's eternal march. After a few more minutes ticked by with no breakthroughs, Tetra rose from her seat on the floor and made her way over to the princess's bed. Tetra had come to a conclusion, and she would like her counterpart to listen to her with her full attention instead of only half of it.

Tetra hopped onto the bed, disturbing the books scattered across the colorful bedspread. On her knees, she placed her hands over the book Princess Zelda was currently holding, effectively blocking her counterpart's view of the symbols scratched meticulously onto the parchment.

Princess Zelda immediately snapped her head up to look at Tetra, a more than slightly irritated expression on her face which Tetra barely registered.

"Look, you're smart enough. Face it, these books can't help us," Tetra declared.

"One of them must be able to. Intelligence vastly differs from knowledge," Princess Zelda responded.

"Yes, I know," Tetra nodded, refraining from rolling her eyes, "but our histories are different. The people  _involved_  in them are different. I'm not saying that the king didn't get the know-how from another source, but I think that that source didn't exist in this world. It couldn't have. Think about it. Who would know more about the Triforce of Wisdom than the bearer of it? A past princess probably knew a lot more than we do about it."

"I've already looked through the journals and diaries of past princesses. None of them mention anything about fragmenting it," Princess Zelda argued, "The princess during the Hero of Time's time was a child. She didn't go on an adventure. She had no experience in using the Triforce of Wisdom."

"She didn't, but her counterpart did. Her counterpart that lived in my world was an adult. She had fought alongside the hero to defeat Ganon, so the person whose diary you need to read is hers, only you can't because it's sunk miles under the sea in my world," Tetra explained, "Do you understand now? We really can't rely on these books. No matter how hard you search, the information won't be here. What you're looking for originated in my world and was destroyed long ago."

Princess Zelda broke eye contact and looked away in thought. Finally she shook her head and brushed Tetra's hands aside, so she could close the book. The brief contact between them caused Tetra to gasp in surprise when heat surged to life on the back of her right hand as if she'd held it out in the sun's rays too long. Upon investigating, she realized that the Triforce symbol was standing out through the pristine white of her glove, burning fiercely. Glancing up, she noted that the princess was examining her own hand which seemed to be having a similar reaction.

"Hmm…I wonder…" Princess Zelda said, tracing the symbol on the back of her hand as it began to fade.

"Wonder what?" Tetra urged her counterpart to continue.

"You felt that too, right?" Princess Zelda queried, looking at Tetra now.

"Of course. Our Triforce pieces were reacting to each other since there technically aren't supposed to be two existing at once, right?" Tetra predicted.

"Yes, that's exactly it," Princess Zelda confirmed, excitement creeping into her voice, "And I think I have an idea of how to get you back to normal."

"Really?" Tetra wondered, not being able to prevent herself from sounding hopeful. What if it was true? What if the princess had figured it out based on that one touch?

"Yes. Give me your hand," Zelda held out her own hand, inviting Tetra to take it. A bit nervously, Tetra extended her arm and gingerly placed her right hand in Zelda's. The Triforce symbol that had nearly faded enough to blend into the white of her glove suddenly burst into a bright shade of yellow that quickly deepened to gold. She felt heat on her hand once again. This time the temperature intensified to the point where it felt like she was too close to an invisible flame. She would have been able to endure it if it didn't feel like hot wax was dripping off of that same unseen candle and onto her hand, seeping through her glove and onto her fair skin.

Tetra quickly snatched her hand away, despite Princess Zelda's protests for her to wait. She wanted to get back to looking, and feeling, normal again, but she wasn't willing to lose a limb to do so.

"What were you trying to do?" she asked, blowing lightly on the back of her hand even though the burning sensation had already begun to subside.

Princess Zelda shook out her own hand saying, "I was trying to force out your Triforce of Wisdom with my own. I think it was working."

"It was  _burning_!" Tetra informed her.

"It's magic," came Princess Zelda's unsympathetic reply. Tetra simply gaped at her.

"Is that even safe to be doing?" Kid wondered, venturing a little closer to the bed.

"Magic is never 'safe'," Princess Zelda answered him, "A better question would be if it will actually do what I am hoping it will, but again, with all magic, you can never be one hundred percent sure."

"I hate magic," Tetra muttered. Honestly, it had only caused trouble for her. Never had it been a relatively  _good_  force. If magic didn't exist, then monsters wouldn't, and if monsters didn't exist then everyone could live in peace. However, because magic did exist, in many forms, she was stuck in another world with her best friend. She appeared to be someone else because of magic. Evil could do what it pleased because of magic. Overall, it was a force that only benefited itself and backfired too often to be of much use to anyone.

"Tetra, I'm going to try it again, but I need you to do something for me this time," Princess Zelda announced.

Almost too scared to ask for fear of what cold-hearted answer she'd receive, Tetra asked softly, "What is it you want me to do?"

"When I take your hand I want you to close your eyes and imagine yourself releasing the Triforce of Wisdom-" Princess Zelda requested.

"Releasing it where?" Tetra interrupted.

"Anywhere will do. The point is that you surrender all ties to it. That way it will make it easier for me to separate it from you. After you do that, imagine it breaking into its two pieces," Zelda instructed.

"Okay, but I don't see how imagining it is going to make it come true," Tetra agreed, doubt hinting in her tone.

"You'd be surprised. The mind is a powerful thing," Princess Zelda replied, "Are you ready?"

"No, but go ahead," Tetra answered honestly, holding out her hand. The princess interlocked her fingers with hers, and Tetra instantly knew that backing out wasn't an option this time.

"Close your eyes," Princess Zelda reminded her as the back of her hand began to grow hot once again. Tetra did as she was told, attempting to picture herself physically holding the Triforce of Wisdom in her hands. The heat emanating from it nearly burned her open palms as she presented the small triangle to the cloudless blue sky above her. It rose up and away into the sky like a kite pulled by the wind. She imagined herself waving a hand, severing the thin thread that bound the Triforce piece to her. The breeze transformed into a fierce gust of wind and spirited the golden triangle higher. Despite the chill of the imaginary wind, her thoughts were instantly pulled back to reality as pain registered in her mind, and she involuntarily cried out, opening her eyes, and startling her counterpart into losing her concentration as well. Princess Zelda didn't mean to loosen her grip, but for Tetra a mere second was all she needed to retract her hand from the hot coals it felt like she had thrust it into.

"Ouch…that hurts," Tetra hissed as she cradled her hand to her chest.

"I'm sorry," Princess Zelda apologized, "Are you alright?"

"Mmhmm," Tetra hummed, examining her dominant hand and expecting to discover her glove in a charred state. Of course, the Triforce symbol was the only mark to speak of.

"It looked like it was working," Kid spoke up, "The Triforce of Wisdom was floating above your hands, and as soon as you opened your eyes it disappeared. If you tried it again, you could probably do it."

"I can't concentrate long enough for it to work," Tetra said, dejected, "It gets to the point where it feels like my hand is on fire. Ignoring that isn't easy."

"I think I have an idea. Stay here. I'll be back in a moment," Princess Zelda interjected, sliding off the bed and swiftly leaving the room. Tetra exchanged a look with Kid born of the same kind of curiosity.

When the Princess of Hyrule returned, she was holding a bucket which appeared to be filled with some type of liquid. Being careful not to spill any of the bucket's contents, the princess slowly made her way over to the cushion filled sitting area of her room. She motioned them both over when she finally managed to safely set the bucket on the floor.

Tetra beat Kid there, though it was debatable whether it had ever been a race to being with, and peered down into the metal container. It looked like water with a bunch of clear pebbles floating on the top. She dipped a finger into the liquid and immediately withdrew it. It was the coldest thing she'd ever touched!

"That's freezing cold!" Tetra exclaimed, deducing that the "pebbles" must be pieces of ice. How the princess was able to retrieve ice, Tetra wasn't sure. Maybe the mountains?

"That's the idea," Princess Zelda smiled. "It'll be harder to feel fire if your hand feels like ice."

"Yes, but this is like the water from around Ice Ring Isle!" Tetra insisted, "No one can step foot on  _that_  island without being turned into an ice sculpture!"

"Really? There's an island like that?" Princess Zelda wondered, intrigued.

"Of course. There's also an island called Fire Mountain. It's basically a volcano that erupts without cease. Since it's always spewing lava, no one can get very close to it, but there's not much of a reason to step foot on it anyway," Tetra informed her counterpart.

"Interesting…" Princess Zelda trailed off in thought, but quickly snapped back to attention. "Tetra, let's try this once more, shall we?" Tetra nodded, sitting down so the skirt of her dress blossomed around her. Princess Zelda sat in front of her, the bucket of ice water between them.

"You know that in order to hold my hand, you'll have to submerge yours in the water too, right?" Tetra asked.

"I'm fully aware of that," Princess Zelda responded as she removed her glove and set it aside. Tetra plunged her hand into the frigid water first, a chill instantly running down her spine and making her shiver. The glove covering her hand offered no warmth when it was sopping wet, but Tetra hadn't expected it to. Princess Zelda joined her, submerging her hand in the water and finding Tetra's. Clasped tightly under the ice water, both of their hands glowed with the power of the Triforce of Wisdom, and Tetra shut her eyes, barely registering the heat through the biting cold of the liquid.

Once again, she imagined herself releasing the Triforce of Wisdom to the open arms of the sky and watched as it was carried away by the wind which quickly grew violent. In her mind, she etched an outline of a small triangle at the bottom of the Triforce of Wisdom, and as the wind battered the golden treasure, it began to split. At first a mere sliver of space separated the fragment from its original place, and Tetra started to doubt it would work, beginning to feel the ice and heat of the Triforce collaborating to burn her hand into oblivion that was nonexistent.

' _Nonexistent, exactly,'_  she told herself, quickly reigning in control and pushing the sensation to the back of her mind,  _'It doesn't exist,_ ' The pain wasn't a being, it wasn't something she could hold. The Triforce of Wisdom could be touched and felt, but not when it was without its two companions. Not when it was whole, only when it was separated. The sliver of space turned into a fraction, which transformed into a noticeable gap between the two. They were still too close together, and no matter how much the wind battered them, they refused to part.

She felt perspiration on her brow now, but she couldn't tell if she was imagining it or if it was real. Before she could wonder about it too much she pushed the thought away because it didn't matter. The only thing that matters is the wind and the two pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. They would part, if not for her then for the wind because the wind was persistent. And because she willed it to be, because she imagined it was as stubborn as her, it simply was. The wind blew much harder than before, pulling at  _her_  now, but at the Triforce of Wisdom too, and with another rough tug, the pieces were wrenched apart.

A bright light, akin to the intensity of the sun, appeared without warning and Tetra's concentration faltered as her attention was drawn to the dramatic alteration in the room's lighting. Almost immediately she felt a tugging at her clothes as they transformed themselves into her pirate attire. Her hair was swept up into its usual swirling bun atop her head, and her bandana was replaced around her neck.

The sense of familiarity that enveloped her practically made her dizzy with elation as she opened her eyes. Her happiness didn't last quite as long as she'd expected since she realized that she could barely feel her hand and yanked it out of the frigid water, flexing her fingers to make sure she still could. All traces of her royal linage was gone. Her skin had regained its usual tanned tone and the absence of hair brushing her back was a welcome feeling.

"Well?" Princess Zelda prompted.

"Well, we're back in business," Tetra winked and rose to her feet, stretching. Then she frowned. There was still something missing. "Where'd my Triforce of Wisdom go?"

"Both pieces flew apart and you changed back," Kid informed her.

"Which way did they go?" Princess Zelda inquired, slipping her glove back on after drying her hand with a small towel that Tetra had failed to notice before.

"I think one went that way and the other went over there," Kid reported, pointing in two completely opposite directions.

"Great. Help me search over here," Tetra ordered, motioning to her best friend who reluctantly got to his feet and started towards her. Once he was close enough she placed her still freezing cold hand on the back of his neck, and he jumped, quickly wriggling away from her.

"Augh! Tetra that's cold!" Kid complained, making a face as she smirked at his discomfort.

"Duh. I had it in ice water forever. Now at least pretend that you want to help or I'll dump the entire bucket on you," Tetra threatened. Kid practically ran all the way to the other side of the room to search while Princess Zelda simply shook her head and wandered towards the opposite side to look.

"Find it yet?" Tetra asked as soon as she caught up to Kid.

"Does it look like I found it yet?" Kid answered cheekily.

"I don't need your sass," Tetra informed him, placing her hands on her hips in a form of reassurance to herself that she could fire the same amount of impudence at him in return if need be.

"And I could do without yours," Kid shot right back causing Tetra to glare at him. He didn't respond, so she assumed that he hadn't noticed. Regardless, she refused to be outdone by him. Although the lingering remnants of Zelda's personality urged her to be the one to end the argument before it could manifest into something they'd both regret, she didn't. She ignored it, because that little voice at the back of her head was just a nuisance. She never asked for its advice and there it was giving her things she didn't want or need.

"When did you get so testy?" Tetra asked, kneeling down near the wall, her eyes scanning the area for a glint of gold.

"Oh, I don't know, let me see, when you started acting like a jerk," Kid shot back turning to glare at her now.

Tetra made a surprised sound that almost passed as a laugh. "Me? A jerk? Have you been listening to yourself lately?"

"Just…be quiet," Kid ordered her, directing his gaze back to the floor where they both knew he wasn't really looking for anything.

"Why? Because I'm right? Because you're chewing me out for no reason?" Tetra pressed, smirking.

"Can you just stop picking on me for once?! Is that too much to ask?" Kid exclaimed in exasperation. His tone of voice startled her into looking directly at him. In all honesty, he looked even more upset than before, almost like he did before he started crying yesterday. Tetra couldn't understand why. She hadn't done anything wrong.

' _Yes, you did,'_  a small part of her insisted.  _'You kept talking.'_  She realized that the tiny voice inside her head that she hardly ever listened to was, for once, right. She had persisted to bother Kid when he made it quite apparent he didn't want to be bothered. That was her own fault, so his being upset was her fault now too.

Wordlessly, she stood and wandered closer to the balcony doors which were slightly ajar. Maybe she could make it right if she gave him some space. She doubted it even as she thought it. Sure, he wouldn't be mad at her all that much anymore, but what did that really accomplish? He was sad all the time now, and no amount of space would fix that.

Tetra pushed open the glass doors all the way and stepped out onto the balcony. It was just as cold as it was earlier, and she clenched her right hand into a fist in an attempt to conserve what little warmth it had regained since she had removed it from the water.

A glimmer of gold alighted in her peripheral vision, and she turned to investigate. Sure enough, there was her necklace, just shy of falling off. If it had been launched with any more force, Tetra was sure that it would have fallen to the ground below.

"I found my necklace," Tetra called over her shoulder as she kneeled down to retrieve the pendant. Just as she reached out to grab it, a strong gust of wind snatched the necklace from the edge of the balcony. Annoyed, Tetra peered between the break in the railing in an attempt to discern where it had been swept off to. Her current position provided her a limited view, so she hastily got to her feet and leaned over the expertly sculpted marble railing.

"Where's your necklace?" Kid wondered, coming up behind her. He didn't sound as mad as before, but she could tell he wasn't happy either.

"Over there," Tetra indicated her possession's location with a nod of her head as soon as she caught sight of it. Fortunately, her treasured necklace hadn't plummeted to the gardens below, but Tetra hardly classified landing on the roof as any better.

"Wait," Kid objected, catching her arm as she hopped onto the railing.

"Calm down. I won't fall," Tetra said, shaking off his concern. Looking down, she had to admit that the ground was farther away than she'd anticipated, but that wouldn't deter her. Instead, it gave her more incentive. She had to do this. This was something that her old self wouldn't think twice about doing. If she did this, she'd officially be herself again. Besides, that necklace was the most important thing she owned. Not because it was part of a sacred relic, but because her mother gave it to her.

Using two hands to balance herself, she crouched down on the rounded beam of marble and carefully turned so she was facing Kid, her feet hanging over the open air.

"You're insane," Kid informed her as he watched with an uneasy expression on his face. At least he was actually worrying for her like usual, which was more than she had expected given his attitude as of late.

"Never forget that," she smirked playfully. Tetra lowered herself until she was able to place her feet between the gaps in the balusters. Hooking an arm around the curved guardrail, she leaned out a little farther, bringing herself closer to the roof. However, she wasn't close enough to step onto it which meant that she'd have to drop a little. She could only hope that the slope in the roof wouldn't jeopardize her mission and send her sliding off into the manicured gardens below.

"Tetra! What are you doing?" Princess Zelda exclaimed, hurrying over to the railing.

"Getting my necklace. It's right there," Tetra said, indicating her necklace with a wave of her free hand.

"I'll get someone to fetch it for you," Princess Zelda offered. However, Tetra had other plans. Ignoring her counterpart's protests, Tetra quickly calculated the distance and adjusted herself accordingly before making a tiny leap and landing on the small section of blue shingled roof. She slid a little at first, and sucked in a breath as she adjusted her stance so she could stand perfectly still. Adrenaline pumped in her veins as she allowed herself to half walk, half slide down the roof until she was closer to her necklace. Reaching down, she yanked the chain free of the tile that had caught it for her. After she had replaced it around her neck, she began to climb back up.

Scaling the roof was much more difficult than slipping down it, but Tetra embraced the challenge. She didn't dare to look up at her counterpart. She already knew that Zelda was shooting her a disapproving glare. She could feel it. Yet, she didn't care. Let the princess be angry at her. It was the perfect time to push boundaries just so she could prove that there were none to tie her down.

Once she was close enough to the railing, Tetra straightened to her full height and grabbed the handrail, hoisting herself up onto it. Once she was balanced, she stood and hopped down onto the balcony only to be taken by the arm and shoved inside by her counterpart.

"Never do that again," Princess Zelda ordered her in the sternest voice she had ever heard her counterpart use. It didn't scare her even though that was probably the princess's intention.

"If nothing I want is over there again then I won't have to," Tetra replied smartly, spinning around on her heel to face the princess and Kid, who was now sporting an aloof expression on his face. Princess Zelda said nothing in response, perhaps because she had nothing to counter with.

The three of them spent the next ten minutes searching for the second piece as far away from the balcony as possible. Princess Zelda eventually discovered it trapped underneath her dresser.

"Who do you want to hold onto this for you?" Zelda inquired once the second piece of the Triforce of Wisdom was retrieved.

"I will," Kid volunteered, stepping forward to take the Triforce shard from the princess. However, Tetra held out an arm to block his advance.

"Hold on a minute. She asked me, not you," Tetra reminded him.

"You're not letting me hold onto it anymore because I accidentally lost it  _one_  time?" Kid wondered incredulously.

"I never said that," Tetra pointed out.

"But that's what you're implying, isn't it?" Kid pressed.

"Nope, you're just jumping to conclusions," Tetra announced, lowering her arm, "I was actually going to say something else, but…oh well." She then turned to the princess. "Let him hold onto it." Tetra then made her way to the seating area near the fireplace and sat down on the arm of one of the princess's cushiony chairs.

"What were you going to say?" Kid wondered, approaching her once the fragment was in his possession.

Tetra shrugged. "Just that you can hold onto it as long as you promise to take better care of it."

"But it wasn't my fault that I lost it in the first place!" Kid argued, "I-"

Tetra abruptly cut him off. All she had needed was a simple, "Yes," a simple, "I promise," and instead Kid was choosing to make it an argument. Well, two could play at that game. Maybe a heated argument was exactly what he needed to fix him, and who better to deliver it than herself? Everyone else was tip toeing around the issue like it could be nurtured into something productive, like they could kill it with kindness, but that wasn't working. It wasn't going to, and she was the only one that realized that.

"See, there's the first sign that you have a problem," Tetra said, knowing fully well that anything she said would set him off at this point, "You're arguing more than usual."

"Only because you're annoying me, and I don't have a problem," Kid countered.

"You're right," Tetra agreed, "You have  _problems_. One of them is denial."

"One of them is you," Kid retorted.

"Ooh! That one actually hurt a bit," Tetra taunted him as she got warmed up. These types of exchanges between the two of them at home were common, and Tetra found that she sort of missed them. They essentially held no real meaning. In truth, they were squabbles created from sheer boredom and restlessness that no one cared enough to stop. Usually Tetra instigated them, and Kid went along with them, firing half-hearted insults right back at her.

However, this one was different. It was a necessary argument in her mind and one that Kid was participating in with more seriousness than he ever displayed before. He wasn't playing this time, and neither was she.

"You know," Tetra mused, falling back so the chair supported her, "lots of people have problems."

"I'm not one of those people," Kid returned, plopping down into a different chair, his arms crossed defensively over his chest.

"I think you are," Tetra replied, absentmindedly playing with the scarlet cloth of her beloved bandana. It felt good to be wearing it again.

"No one cares what you think," Kid retaliated, his tone more heated than she'd expected so early in their quarrel.

That caught her off guard, but she didn't let it show and fired back immediately. "Did I say think? I meant know." She sat up and looked directly at him. "I know for a fact that you have problems because you and I share at least one. We're  _both_  trapped here. You think that I'm enjoying it any more than you are? Because I'm not. I understand exactly how much you want to get home, but-"

"You don't understand at all," Kid interjected, glowering at her.

Tetra narrowed her eyes at him to refrain from smirking. He was falling right into her perfectly laid trap. "I do," she insisted, raising her voice. This was it.

"No, you don't!" Kid shouted, "It's not like you actually had any family taken away from you and can't do a thing about it!"

Her hard gaze softened, but only a little. "I did. My mom, remember? But of course, you wouldn't remember that because you're too caught up feeling sorry for yourself to think about anyone else."

"That's not true," Kid rejected her words, shaking his head as if that would make them disappear.

"It is. You're lucky you still have a family," Tetra shot back, a sudden longing for her deceased mother clogging her throat and preventing her from saying anything more. Sure, her crew were like family in the sense that she'd known them her entire life, but they weren't related by blood.

"I might not anymore," Kid whispered, the heat of his earlier words cooling down considerably.

"Right, like Ghirahim could work that fast," Tetra rolled her eyes. "He probably got dumped in the ocean somewhere and is flailing around like a cucco as we speak."

"Or Aryll and Medli and Makar got dumped in the ocean," Kid countered.

"Do you have to be so pessimistic? You're not helping yourself by doing that you know," Tetra informed him.

"I'm not trying to help myself," Kid interrupted her.

She continued as if he hadn't said a word, "Besides, if you actually listened to Ghirahim's wish, he said something like 'whisk the sages back to their abodes'. Since he was specific, the Triforce probably did exactly that, which means that Medli and Makar are on their own islands, and you're sister only got taken because she was too close to one of them. That means she's either on Dragon Roost Island or Forest Haven."

Tetra had no idea if that was actually true, but from her experience with the holy Triforce, and the wishes it granted, it took everything quite literally. King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule had wished for Ganondorf to drown with Hyrule, and what had happened? He'd been turned to stone by the Master Sword and drowned along with the kingdom, and its king, but that was beside the point.

"You don't know that," Kid argued, his voice betraying the optimism he was still trying so hard to hide.

"You don't know that they're not okay," Tetra pointed out, "And the only way we'll get to see who's right is to figure out how to get home."

"But we can't. There's no way home," Kid said, the faint hint of optimism in his tone vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

"Well, we got here, didn't we?" Tetra wondered.

"How  _did_  you get here exactly?" Princess Zelda cut in. Up until now she had been silently observing their squabble.

"If I remember correctly, we walked back to the castle," Tetra replied slyly.

"That is not what I mean," Princess Zelda said, frowning at Tetra's sarcastic remark, "How did you arrive in Hyrule?"

"Medli and Makar played a song, why?" Tetra answered, deciding to be serious so she could continue arguing with Kid until he didn't have any rage left in him.

"That was it? They played a song and you were all transported here?" Princess Zelda checked.

"That's what I said," Tetra confirmed.

"Hmm…I'm trying to make sense of this," Princess Zelda claimed a chair of her own to sit in. "I just don't understand Ghirahim's motive. Why go to your world? Why take your friends?"

"Maybe because they're sages?" Kid suggested.

"And how would he know that?" Tetra inquired, "It's not like we ever told him."

"Ghirahim seems to know more than he should. I wouldn't put it past him to have placed spies around Hyrule to gather this information for him," Princess Zelda commented, "Perhaps he knew how close you all were, and he simply wanted to take them away to distract us?"

"No," Tetra shook her head. She knew that wasn't the reason. Ghirahim was sadistic. If he'd wanted to distract them, to immobilize them and make them feel helpless, then he wouldn't have taken away their friends. He would have tortured their friends and forced them to watch. Tetra was about to voice this but thought better of it with how fragile Kid's mind was at the moment and said instead, "If he really had spies, then he knew how we got here. I think he wanted to take away our means of getting home."

"What do you mean?" Kid wanted to know, "The whole point of following the riddle was because we didn't have a way home."

"Right, but there  _was_  another way. Sort of," Tetra admitted, recalling her first discussion with the light spirit, Faron, "The other option was to play the song that we used to get here, backwards. Doing that would reverse the spell, at least according to Faron, but we have no idea what song we played, and even if we did, it won't work now because we don't have Medli and Makar to play their special instruments for us. If we had them here then we could resort to that since the riddle was a false lead but-"

"Wait a moment. Resort…as in last resort…" Princess Zelda trailed off. Tetra exchanged a puzzled glance with Kid before turning back to the princess. Before Tetra could form an inquiry, Princess Zelda wordlessly hurried over to her bed and kneeled down, reaching underneath. She withdrew her hand and stood, holding the Goddess Harp with great care, almost as if she expected it to explode and take her grand idea along with it.

Tetra regarded Princess Zelda with suspicion as she drew closer. The princess reclaimed her seat and placed the harp gingerly in her lap.

"When we were given this, we were told it was a last resort, correct?" Princess Zelda verified.

Searching her memory, Tetra nodded after a brief pause and her counterpart continued, eager now, "And this is a sacred instrument, which should have the same effect as the ones that sages carry, correct?"

"Yes! You're right!" Tetra exclaimed, jumping up from her seat in excitement as she understood where the princess was leading with the idea.

"So we should be able to use this to get to your world. All we have to do is find the right song," Princess Zelda said.

"You say that like its simple," Kid interjected, "I don't even remember the song, and I was conducting them. If we don't know what it was forwards, how are we supposed to play it backwards?"

"Really, Kid? You have to bring that up  _now_? We finally have a breakthrough and you're ruining it with your mood," Tetra chastised him.

"He's being realistic," Princess Zelda defended Kid, although Tetra wasn't so sure that pessimism qualified as "realistic." "It's true. If we do not know what song was played to bring you here, then having the instrument is useless."

"But we can figure out the song. I don't remember exactly how it goes because I only heard it once, but I'm sure if I heard it I would recognize it," Tetra insisted. She was going to get home one way or another, and if this was the only way to do it then she'd listen to a million songs until she found the right one.

"How do you suggest going about that?" Princess Zelda wondered.

"I don't know," Tetra sighed, taking a minute to think. "How about you start playing any song that comes to mind, and I'll tell you if it sounds familiar."

"On the harp? I can barely play," Princess Zelda reluctantly reminded her.

"What if the song we played is a song we know backwards? How would we know the difference?" Kid asked.

"Ugh, we play each song we know forwards and back," Tetra explained, exasperated. Turning to her counterpart she said, "And just so we're clear, by 'we' I mean 'you'."

"I figured. I am the one with the instrument," Princess Zelda replied. "Not that I have any more knowledge than you do about playing it," she added as an afterthought.

"I hope you're a quick learner then, because you're going to be playing a bunch of songs for us," Tetra informed her, sitting down once again. Then she leaned back so the plush chair practically embraced her and waited for the concerto to begin.


	4. Where Forgotten Shadows Meet the Light

Wind whipped hard into Link's face as his horse, Epona, trampled the dirt path with her powerful hooves. The mare sensed the anxiousness pouring off of her rider and charged forward without much need of direction. She simply knew where it was he wanted to go. For years, they'd had an unspoken bond which never made it past the woods and never worked better than at the ranch, herding lethargic goats. After Link's first adventure the bond between them only deepened, which in turn deepened Ilia's jealousy. Link's newfound power to transform into a wolf allowed him to communicate with all animals, and even though he could understand Epona now on a level no ordinary human could possibly achieve, his horse always urged him to return to his original self. She liked him better that way, and he did too.

At the moment, Link was especially grateful for the extraordinary bond he had formed over time with the chestnut colored mare. His mind was racing faster than Epona was currently galloping. There were so many issues to address that he just wanted to scream to scare them all away, if only momentarily, so he could think. The makeshift wind helped distract him, and, if he wasn't afraid of hurting Epona, he would urge her to go faster.

Out of all of the things he imagined himself doing this morning, this certainly wasn't on the list. To his embarrassment, he admitted that he had forgotten completely about Zant. He didn't know how the corrupt Twili managed to slip his mind and barely registered their defeat as an acceptable excuse. Link had been the last one to be fighting Zant, after all. The self-proclaimed King of Twilight, had teleported away quite suddenly, and Link had thought that he had wounded him with the Master Sword to a point that warranted a hasty retreat. If anything, Zant should have still been licking his wounds back in the Palace of Twilight, but apparently he had weaseled his way out of his own demise once again.

' _This time I will kill him,'_  Link decided, but then began to doubt himself for the first time since the Twilight Invasion.  _'Do I even have the power to do that?'_ he wondered,  _'Did I lose my touch since my last adventure?'_  Link hadn't thought so a few days ago. Even after his first adventure, he'd made sure that he practiced with his sword at least once every day. If anything came to harm Ordon Village, or any other location in Hyrule for that matter, again, he wanted to be ready for it.

Perhaps practice wasn't the same as the experience he gathered while traveling around. Maybe he should have continued to travel? He had tried that for a little while, but he kept getting letters from home, mostly from the kids and Ilia, begging him to come back and stay. Eventually he had succumbed to their wishes and returned, but maybe that was a mistake. Maybe if he had traveled around then he would be more prepared for what they were dealing with now.  _'But if you did that then you wouldn't have been in Ordon to meet Tetra and Aryll in the first place,'_  he reminded himself.

Link let the makeshift wind sweep away the thoughts and concentrated instead on his surroundings. They were still in the mountainous pass and Epona was beginning to slow down to a canter. He allowed his steed to slow her pace since he knew that she couldn't possibly run all the way to Lake Hylia like this.

He pulled back on the reigns to let Epona know that she could slow down to a comfortable walk. However, his mare was determined to get him where he needed to be and continued with a persistent trot.

Before Link's thoughts could consume him, Epona suddenly stopped, rearing up. He was already tense so moving into the correct position to prevent himself from falling off was almost automatic. When his horse placed her front hooves back on the ground, she stamped in the dirt road uneasily, and he patted the back of her neck absentmindedly as his eyes searched for that which had startled her.

An arrow flew past his face, nearly nicking his ear. Link whipped his head around in the direction that the projectile had come from to see a Bulblin notching another arrow and beginning to aim it. Pulling out his bow, he let the Bulblin take its shot and ducked to avoid the arrow. He then prepared his own bow and arrow, launching it at the monster while it was preoccupied fumbling for another projectile to use from the poorly crafted quiver on its back. His arrow buried itself in the creature's head and the monster burst into a black haze which quickly dissipated into the atmosphere.

"I guess there are still monsters wandering around," Link commented as he surveyed the rest of the area for creatures that meant him harm. Upon finding none, he urged his mount forward cautiously, gripping his bow in one hand and ready to reach for an arrow with the other. His caution was well-placed for not a minute later he encountered another Bulblin. Link was quicker on the draw than the monster and disposed of it before it could let loose a single arrow.

As he proceeded through the narrow pass, Link encountered monsters numerous times. All of them were of the more simplistic variety; Bulblins, Chus, which he had to be careful not to steer Epona into, and Keese. When the Great Bridge of Hylia was finally visible Link stowed away his bow and arrows. If anything attacked him now, he was sure that he'd need a sword to fend it off.

The Master Sword was once again in his possession. Its weight on his back was surprisingly light, if a little heavier than he remembered. After replacing the blade in its pedestal, Link had thought his adventuring days were over. It was a finalizing step, a formality, a period that ended the story. Yet, the sword had been pulled from the pedestal, not by him, but by another hero, his counterpart, and had revealed that there was a spirit living inside the sword the entire time.

Fi. She was oddly calculating about everything and her emotions, well, she didn't seem to have any. Everything she said was either a fact or statistic, or suggestions that sounded like indifferent commands. Despite that, she seemed to know almost everything which made her a valuable source. Link still had trouble classifying her. She wasn't exactly a person. She didn't eat or drink or sleep, not that Link had ever noticed her dozing since they had awakened her, but then again, she had been asleep for hundreds, probably thousands, of years. Who in their right mind would be tired after that kind of power nap?

In fact, Link wasn't even positive she had a substantial body. She always materialized out of thin air and, while she appeared to be solid, he had never actually touched her. For goodness sakes, she didn't even have  _arms_ , just a flowy cape like fabric as a substitute. It looked like fabric with the way it undulated, half metallic blue, half purple. Yet, the glossy sheen it took on was so much like the rest of her that Link couldn't be sure.

When Fi wasn't visible, she was inside the sword. As for what she did in there, Link didn't have any good guesses. Even though she inhabited the sword, Link didn't feel any differences in wielding it. Fi claimed she was a sword spirit, but never explained exactly what that meant. Perhaps she assumed it was self-explanatory, and Link supposed it was. There's a sword, and she's a spirit that lives inside of it.

However, Fi was also clear about the fact that Ghirahim was also a sword spirit which Link found confusing. Ghirahim didn't have a sword to retreat into, no one to call "Master" like Fi did so dutifully to him and Kid. The demon lord obviously had power that Fi did not. For one, he actually had arms and hands with which to wield weapons and could work dark magic with no more than a snap of his fingers.

As far as Link knew, Fi could not perform any magic. All she had going for her were the bits of information and advice in desperate need of deciphering that was stored in her head. So why did Fi classify Ghirahim as a sword spirit? Were there different types of sword spirits with differing abilities? Was Fi just a helpful hint giver and Ghirahim an expert pain dealer or was there something more to it than that?

Just when he was contemplating if he should call Fi out and ask her, he realized that Epona had stopped right in front of the sign for Fyer and Falbi's Watertop Land of Fascination. She was pawing the ground impatiently as if reminding him that this was his stop and he should get off now.

"I'm going," Link muttered, dismounting and wondering how long he had been sitting there. He knew it couldn't have been too long because Midna would have said something, unless she's just as distracted as he is.

Link hurried down to the shack as he realized that the more he dallied, the more likely Zant was to reach the spirit spring first. After paying the designated amount for a ride down, Link grabbed a cucco, wincing as its loud protests hurt his ears. It was fair enough. If someone grabbed him and told him to fly them across a lake, well…that probably wouldn't happen, but he imagined that he wouldn't be too happy if it did.

The birds were quite amazing if one took time to stop and think about it. They couldn't weigh more than a few pounds and yet they could support a person's weight in the air. It wasn't much more than gliding, but, considering that they should have plummeted to the lake below and didn't, it was impressive.

He only had sights for the ground and found impatience creeping into his mind as he slowly glided down. Peering below, Link could see the sparkling blue water of the lake steadily growing closer as well as the first outcropping of land which was still too far away for him to drop down safely. He leaned to the right slightly, hoping that the struggling bird above him would be able to stay aloft long enough to deliver him directly to the entrance of Lanayru's Spring.

The cucco, through all of its noisy protesting, was able to keep them both in the air long enough for Link to reach the grand entrance of the spirit spring. He released the bird while he was still a few feet in the air, rolling to prevent injury as he hit the ground. The white feathered cucco dropped down behind him, clucks of contentment coming from its beak now replacing the loud squawks of objection that it had previously been projecting to inform the universe of its dissatisfaction. Link couldn't help but wonder how the cuccos were returned to Falbi. Did they fly? Or did Fyer shoot the birds back up to his associate via the cannon? It probably didn't matter, so long as they always ended up where they were supposed to be.

Another sound, not the cucco or the rushing waterfall to his right, met his ears. It was nothing but an echo that he could only catch the end of, but it didn't seem to be a word. More like…chains rattling? Steel being struck with stone? Whatever it was, Link realized that it was coming from inside the cave that held Lanayru's Spring.  _"Oh no,"_  was all he could think as he bolted into the cave.  _"Oh no, I wasn't fast enough."_

As the actual spring came into view, Link skidded to a halt. Yup. He was late. With his back to Link, stood Zant, his arms outstretched toward the light spirit Lanayru who was visible and trying to fight off the influence of twilight. By the way its light was dimming, the spirit appeared to be losing. The orb situated securely inside the serpent's jaws that normally pulsed with never-ending light was gradually being tainted black by blocks of twilight that clung to it like leaves to wet skin. The sound that he had heard was the light spirit, struggling as the chains of twilight wrapped around its sphere of light, attempting to squeeze the entity out of existence.

The element of surprise was no longer with Link, or maybe it had never been there in the first place. Either way, Zant turned as the hero entered the cave and, though Link couldn't see the Twili's face behind the mask, he instantly knew that Zant was furious with his presence.

' _I should've, I should've, I should've…but guess what? YOU DIDN'T!'_  Link practically screamed at himself as he drew the Master Sword from its sheath. He shouldn't have stopped to fight so many monsters in the pass. He should have just ran past them. If he had…maybe he still wouldn't have made it. Regardless, it didn't matter now. It was inevitable that he was going to fight Zant today. It was just a matter of when, not if.

"And you're here to stop me, I assume?" Zant said casually, as if he had been expecting the hero, which, Link theorized, he had. Before he could formulate a response, Zant turned around fully to face him and continued. "You can certainly try, but you won't succeed. As we speak my power is growing." Here Zant cackled joyfully, insanely. "Every spark of light that shadow consumes makes me all the more powerful and once this entire realm is coated in darkness, you and all your kind will know how it feels to be cast aside and left to toil for eternity in the shadows!"

Oh, but maybe you won't get the pleasure of seeing this new world. No. That would be far too kind a gesture, after everything you've done to me and my accomplice…and my god. No. You don't deserve to witness the beautiful world I'm creating, but perhaps you can still be a part of it."

Faster than Link could comprehend, Zant grew to a towering height, hovering just above the water of the spring. Lanayru had faded to the point where Link could no longer see the spirit, and the only indication of its presence was the half-shadow tainted orb of light beneath the giant Twili. Link knew what would happen if the orb was completely corrupted. It was a ticking time bomb that he couldn't let expire. If it did, a curtain of twilight would be draped over the Lanayru Province and turn, not only Link into a wolf, but Kid as well. If Link didn't have any motivation before, he certainly did now.

The crackling red sphere laced with twilit runes certainly didn't look very inviting, especially as its size continued to increase. Link's well-trained eyes scanned the area for something that would prove advantageous. Zant's bulk was taking up most of the inner cave and seeing as the Twili was floating above the water, Link wouldn't be able to reach him with his sword. No. Not with his sword, but certainly a skyward strike would reach.

Link raised the Master Sword skyward, satisfied at the buzzing he felt in his fingertips as the sacred sword charged with heavenly power. Running up as close as he was able, Link performed a vertical slice in the air, a lavender beam as tall as the blade was long traveled with astonishing speed towards Zant whose sheer size prevented him from dodging.

As the purple beam of energy struck Zant, the corrupt Twili immediately froze and shrank a little. However, he had already released his hold on the sphere of dark magic and being temporarily paralyzed didn't stop the ball of magic from hurtling straight for the green clad hero. Moving purely on instinct, Link stepped off of the overhanging piece of land and dropped with a splash into the spring that was barely noticeable by the crash of the magic impacting the ground above, effectively crumbling it to pieces. He frantically distanced himself from the debris as it crashed into the water and began its decent to the bottom of the pool.

Link quickly resurfaced, realizing belatedly how lucky he was that the blast hadn't hit him. If it demolished the ground so violently, then just think of what it could do to flesh and bone. Holding back a shudder at the thought, Link quickly swam over to the side, stealing a glance at Zant as he lifted himself out of the water and onto solid ground. Already, the Twili was gathering another immense ball of energy above his head, his arms raised towards the ceiling. Seeing another opportunity to downsize his opponent, Link raised his sword towards the sky as he ran up the small slope to get a better vantage point from which to release the skyward strike.

When Link reached a location that he felt would work well enough, he realized that the blade of his sword wasn't taking on a purple hue at all.

"What the heck?" Link muttered, lowering his arm and then raising it again as he wondered if he had been holding it incorrectly. Still no reaction. Furrowing his brow Link leveled the sword so he was staring directly at the metal. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with the blade. It reflected his face, slightly warped, right back at him, just as expected. Another quick glance at Zant proved that the sphere of magic was almost as large as the last time it was released.

Link turned his attention back to the Master Sword, about to call Fi out to interrogate her. However there was no need. Either Fi read his mind or noticed his puzzled expression and decided he needed clarification for she materialized out of the sword in the same spark of lavender light she always did.

"Master, I detect an increased evil energy suffusing the immediate area. This indicates that the stores of divine energy are severed and cannot be reached at this time. I suggest enforcing a different tactic in battling this enemy," Fi reported in a monotone that only she could manage perfectly.

"Okay," Link sighed in exasperation. That was the only response that Fi required, for she disappeared before he could question her further.

With a high-pitched battle cry, Zant unleashed his second sphere of dark magic. This time, the ball divided, scattering the pent up energy in several directions. Link raised his shield just in time to protect himself from what would have been a direct hit to his torso. The small orb was more powerful than Link had first anticipated when he'd moved into a defensive stance, and the force of fending it off sent him stumbling back a few steps. He regained his balance just in time to intercept the next red and black sphere, this one slightly bigger than the last. Instead of using his shield, Link slashed at the projectile with his sword, intending to reflect the attack right back at Zant.

The ball of magic split on contact with the sacred blade. Two identical, yet slightly smaller, orbs of dark magic flew past Link on both sides, just barely missing him. It was then that his shadow shifted and Midna appeared before of him.

"Are you trying to lose?" Midna wondered.

"I'm experimenting," Link defended himself.

"And do you have a plan yet?" Midna inquired, eyeing Zant who was becoming increasingly frustrated that he could not land a single blow on his opponent. From his size, Link was just as shocked as Zant that he hadn't been struck yet. Zant didn't seem to have noticed Midna's presence which Link thought was for the better.

"No, I don't," Link admitted, "I'll gladly take suggestions though."

"Good," Midna approved of his statement with a nod of her head. "I was going to tell you want to do anyway, but it's better to know that you're willing to listen."

"Midna, plan," Link reminded the black and white imp floating in front of him as if there wasn't any danger to be had around them.

"What's the magic word?" Midna requested, crossing her arms over her chest and waiting expectantly for his response.

"Now," Link said, growing a bit impatient.

"Eee hee! Close enough," Midna grinned. "There are some places where your double clawshots could come in handy. The closest one is right over the entrance. Once you're up there, I'm sure you can see the rest of them."

Link stole a glance over his shoulder, not wanting to leave Zant out of his line of sight for too long. Sure enough, there was a circular grate high above the entrance that he had never noticed before.

"Alright, but what am I supposed to do when I get up there?" Link asked, turning back to Midna.

"There's a clawshot thingy above Zant," Midna informed him.

"And…" Link prompted.

"And that's it," Midna announced. Link quirked an eyebrow. "What? Don't look at me like that! Do you really expect me to do all the thinking?"

"No, but I thought you had a plan," Link said, holding the disappointment inside rather than letting it out in his voice.

"Hey, I never said I had a plan. You just assumed," Midna pointed out, "Now get up there. I'm sure you'll think of something." With that, Midna retreated into the safety of his shadow.

Digging out his clawshots from the many items he had at his disposal, Link turned and took careful aim at the metal grate. A single press of a button and the silver chain automatically shot out, the claw grasping its target and pulling him into the air. Perched on the side of the cave wall, Link was grateful for the uneven rock. Clinging to a flat wall in such a fashion was a challenge that Link didn't welcome. Even though the clawshot was secured firmly in place, it meant nothing if he lost his grip which was why a jagged surface was helpful.

Just as Midna had said, a clawshot target was placed conveniently right above the usurper king. Unfortunately, it was too far away for him to reach, so Link searched the cave from his new vantage point for a closer target. He quickly found one secured to the wall up and to the left of where he currently was. Readying his second clawshot, Link released the chain and waited until the metal claw latched onto the golden grate before loosening the first clawshot from its position. There was a brief second of free fall, of weightlessness, as the first clawshot freed the grate from its grasping metal claws. Then Link was tugged to the next location and digging his boots into whatever imperfections in the rock he could find.

Directing his attention to the red and gold target above Zant, Link was startled to see multiple shots of Twili magic zooming towards him. Without a thought, he aimed and pressed the button to discharge the chain. By pure luck the claw grabbed the grate just as Link released his hold from the other. He was yanked high into the air just in time for the attack to pass harmlessly underneath him. However, Zant wasn't done yet and another set of red orbs sought him out.

Link could do nothing but hope to evade them while he was still being pulled to his desired destination. He did make it, but not without one of the projectiles brushing his shoulder. With the adrenaline pumping in his veins, Link barely felt it. He was now high above Zant, and while it gave him a good opportunity to land a formidable blow, it gave his enemy a chance to do considerable damage as well.

Knowing that every second counted, Link quickly put away his second clawshot and unsheathed the Master Sword. The line between courage and stupidity was a fine one that Link tried not to cross whenever he could help it. However, sometimes, one simply had to be stupid. That was why he loosened his clawshot from its position and entered a free fall, angling the sword so it was pointing downward. He wasn't really sure where he was aiming, especially since Zant was wearing a helmet. It turned out not to matter, for the Twili disappeared in a swirl of black squares which left nothing but the spring below for Link to hit.

He barely had time to take a breath before he broke the surface with a large splash and pain erupted from his shoulder along with every other minor cut and bruise he had sustained in the battle with Ghirahim yesterday. A quick intake of breath was all he needed to be reminded that he was underwater, and Link quickly swam his way to the surface, which proved to be quite a challenge with a metal weapon in each hand. Resurfacing, Link found himself coughing to expel the water from his lungs, but noticed that otherwise, he felt better than he should have considering the stunt he'd just pulled.

The pain he had originally felt, faded away to nothing, and it was then that he realized the spring had healed him. He didn't think it would, with its keeper in such a sorry state, but apparently, the light spirit was doing everything in his limited power to make sure Link won this fight.

Treading water, Link surveyed the area. Zant wasn't anywhere in sight. Midna must have noticed the same thing, for she slipped out of his shadow and hovered a couple inches above the water, her red eyes searching as well.

"If he ditched us, I swear…" Midna trailed off, leaving the threat unfinished as she turned every which way to locate their enemy.

An insane cackle that could only belong to a lunatic such as Zant, drew their attention to the ceiling. The Twili was hovering far above the spring of healing water, growing bigger by the second. Link wasn't going to stick around to see what he was going to do. He cut through the water with a little difficulty due to the items he was holding and managed to get on dry land not a second too soon. Zant came crashing down into the pool of water with what must have been the most enormous splash a single person has ever managed to accomplish on their own because the white spray wasn't just spray, it was a wave that knocked Link off his feet and would have drenched him if he wasn't already dripping wet.

Midna, who had smartly ducked into his shadow before Zant cannonballed into the water, reappeared by his side and whispered, "I have a plan, but it'll require me helping you."

"What is it?" Link wondered, getting to his feet and sheathing his sword before pulling out his other clawshot.

"Do what you did before, except I want you to go all the way to the other side of the spring. From there, you'll have a good shot at Zant. Don't worry about his attacks. I'll cancel out his magic with mine," Midna explained.

"Okay, but what am I supposed to hit Zant with?" Link inquired. Normal arrows wouldn't work. Zant could easily deflect those. He didn't want to pull Zant closer to him with his current size. Chances are, Link would be pulled to Zant instead of the other way around.

"Your ball and chain. Smash his helmet to pieces. With extra luck, you'll snap his neck too," Midna shot him a mischievous smile.

"I don't know if it will reach," Link admitted, angling himself so he had the clawshot target in his sight.

"You leave that to me, wolf boy," Midna advised him. He was surprised to hear the nick name coming from her. She hadn't called him that in a while.

"Right," Link replied, a small smile finding its way onto his face as he aimed at the grate and was pulled to it. True to her word, Midna defended him as he climbed higher. By now, Zant had noticed her and it was debatable whether Zant was even aiming for Link anymore. Midna was able to match Zant's every move, which only seemed to enrage the evil Twili further. It also probably didn't help matters that the Twilight Princess was firing every verbal insult she could think of at him any chance she got.

Once Link reached the grate above Zant, his eyes quickly found his next target, and he positioned himself accordingly in order to reach it. While the giant Twili was focused on Midna, he appeared to be fed up with the interference as he came to the startling conclusion that Link was still on the move. Mimicking the motion of a tornado, Zant spun in the air while releasing his spheres of dark magic with a wild battle cry.

The black and red orbs were individual beings that just kept coming, like hail in a storm. Due to the wind that Zant's immense size was creating as a result of being so large and completing such a maneuver, the projectiles were much faster and hit about twice as hard. Each one was destined to either hit or miss, and at the speed they were traveling luck was pretty much all one had to fend them off.

Link just happened to be lucky enough for none to hit him directly. However, one did impact the base of the rock spire he was currently clinging to via a grate that probably had no business in being there anyway. First it was one, then it was another, chipping the rock at a different angle. It only took the spire getting hit once more for Link to realize that if it fell, so did he.

Extending his free arm towards the next target, he watched the fast flying orbs as they whizzed past. There was no pattern and, therefore, no breaks to be had. So, praying to Farore for protection, Link released his hold on the rock spire and let his second clawshot pull him through the air. He felt a brief sting as the evil energy grazed him on its way past, a small taste of what a direct hit had to offer. Upon reaching his destination, Link concluded that he didn't want to be on the receiving end of such a hit. Those things were small, but powerful.

Dropping down to the ground a few feet below, Link exchanged his double clawshots for the heavy ball and chain. By now, Zant had finished spinning, now dizzy and disoriented from his frantic actions. Perfect, or what would have been perfect if Zant was just a few feet closer. As it happened, Link knew that his attack wouldn't reach.

"Midna!" he called out, scanning the area for her.

"I'm working on it!" came the irritated reply from the other side of the cave. Link couldn't see her due to Zant's size, but he  _could_  see the large sphere of Twili magic that was steadily growing bigger by the second. Unlike Zant's creations, this one was laced with turquoise runes and supported by a large orange hand. A hand that Link knew really wasn't a hand at all. It was Midna's versatile hair.

The orb was flung towards Zant with as much force as Midna could muster while retaining the magic she had gathered. If Zant had been close to regaining his composure, the blast Midna threw in his face canceled any recovery he had been working on. It also pushed the corrupt Twili closer to Link who was already swinging the metal ball over his head with the chain to build up momentum.

Link jerked back on the chain suddenly, sending the ball attached to the end of it to meet the chameleon-like helmet that Zant wore to mask his face with so much force that it jarred Link's arms. The helmet didn't shatter like Midna had predicted it would. Instead, it disappeared in a swirl of black Twili particles. Judging by Zant's pained wails, that Link couldn't safely say were overdramatized, the hit had shaken their opponent who immediately shrunk down to a size just small enough that ensured Link couldn't reach him with the same method of attack again.

"We have to finish this fast. That sphere of light is getting darker by the minute," Midna reported, returning to Link's side.

"In that case, I've got it from here," Link replied, slipping the ball and chain back into his enchanted pouch. Drawing the Master Sword, Link stepped up to the edge. Checking to make sure that Zant was still disoriented, Link positioned his sword for a jump strike. By now, he had perfected the timing for such a maneuver. However, he had never used it in the practice of jumping off a ledge. Despite this slight difference, it provided him with the desired effect. The power of it not only caused him to fall towards his foe faster, but it also carried him forward. It was difficult to hold his form at first, but he was cutting the air so fast that he barely had time to think about it. Just as he was about to hit Zant, the Twili vanished, and Link let out a yell of frustration as he was enveloped by the water.

He quickly resurfaced and swam over to solid ground. His gaze was drawn to the ball of pure light. Just as Midna had said, it was almost completely drenched in shadow. The only way he knew of stopping it was to defeat Zant, but that was proving to be more of a challenge than he'd anticipated. It seemed like Zant had picked up a few fighting tips from Ghirahim in the time the two had spent as partners in crime. Zant seemed to be learning as the battle ensued. Every time Link landed a hit, Zant adjusted the circumstances, so Link had no chance of succeeding the same way twice which, in itself, practically decided the outcome. All Zant had to do was survive long enough for twilight to consume the light spirit, and then he could escape. Link knew he was running out of time. If only there was some way to preserve the little light Lanayru had left then maybe he could discover a winning strategy.

"Midna, do you have the ability to stop the twilight from taking over? Or slow it down at least?" Link asked his shadow.

"If I did, I would have done it already," Midna assured him as she slipped out of his shadow, "Although, if we had a source of pure light and fired it at that ball of light then maybe Lanayru would be able to find the strength to fight back."

"Like a light arrow?" Link suggested.

"Exactly, but we left everyone that can use light arrows back at the castle. Maybe we should have thought this through more," Midna reflected.

"Yeah, no kidding," Link mumbled as he wracked his brain for another idea and silently wondered why he couldn't use light arrows as well. He had a piece of the Triforce just like everyone else, so why couldn't he make arrows of light? Unless he could. He'd never actually tried. With this thought in the front of his mind, Link dug out his bow and arrows from his many items and notched an arrow, aiming it at Zant who had reappeared in the center of the spring.

He willed the tip to be shrouded in the brightest light he could imagine. To no avail, the arrowhead remained stubbornly dull. Zant chose to resume his dizzying revolution once again, and this time Midna melted into the shadows, Link's shadow in particular. Abandoning the notion for the time being, Link evaded the red and black orbs as best as he could. When Zant was finally finished, it was no wonder that the Twili was disoriented once again.

While Link knew that this was his golden opportunity to do something, he had no idea what action to take.

Midna slipped out of the shadows, deciding for him. "Take that stupid arrow of yours and smother it in light before Zant regains his senses."

"Midna, I can't. I don't know how to make light arrows," Link argued.

"That's not what I mean for you to do! Just fire it at that sphere of light," Midna ordered him, pointing at the ball of golden white that was swiftly being consumed by darkness and losing its shine.

"What will that do?" Link wondered, notching the arrow once again and aiming where Midna was indicating.

"Do it and you'll see!" Midna invited him, a bit bossily in his opinion. Nonetheless, he didn't have any other options, and it wasn't as if he could actually harm the light spirit by doing this. At least, he didn't think it was possible. Link humored his companion anyway and released the arrow.

The projectile pierced the ball of light with absolutely no resistance and flew straight through it. However, Link was shocked to see what happened when the arrow emerged. The projectile he had launched at the ball of light was now a streak of gold that shattered into brilliant rays of light when the wall impeded its flight.

The shadow that had been steadily creeping along the sphere of light was noticeably smaller as well, almost as if the arrow had helped spread the remaining light throughout the rest of the orb.

Link let a second arrow fly, this time aiming it at a different angle. The end result was the same as the first, and now it was evident that the light spirit was beginning to regain its strength as the water of the spring took on a barely perceivable golden hue.

"Master, the evil suffusing the area has retreated enough to allow the use of divine energy," Fi announced, appearing without warning by Link's side as he was preparing a third arrow.

"Thanks Fi," Link acknowledged her with a nod of his head as he aimed and fired once again at the orb of light.

"I suggest striking the light spirit with a skyward strike. There is an 85% probability that doing so will completely purge the spirit of the darkness attempting to conquer it," Fi advised before returning to her post in the sword. It took a second for her words to register. With Fi's emotionless voice, Link could easily dismiss everything she said as unimportant when, in fact, that was almost never the case. The information she provided him with was vital to his victory and her suggestion could very well end the battle entirely. After all, what chance did Zant have if Link had the full power of Lanayru on his side?

Raising the Master Sword skyward, Link felt the hilt hum in his grip as the blade began to fill with sacred energy. It was at this time that Zant recovered from his disorientation and began to use his Twili magic once again. Link continued to allow the sword to charge up, but quickly abandoned his scheme when Zant launched a series of projectiles at him. Focusing on dodging for the time being, Link was forced to run from one side of the cave to the other and back multiple times as Zant bombarded him with attack after attack.

When this ceased, Link slid to a stop and attempted to regain the breath he'd lost. Glancing at his opponent, Link realized why the attacks had stopped so abruptly. During their battle, Zant had been warring with Lanayru as well as him. Now that the light spirit was stronger it took all of Zant's concentration to fight back.

Recognizing a golden opportunity when he saw one, Link raised the Master Sword towards the sky. As soon as a lavender hue encompassed the blade, Link sliced the air in a single, fluid motion and watched as the wave of purple light traveled towards the struggling light spirit.

The sacred energy struck the sphere of light, and Link watched as cracks appeared in the shadows attempting to devour it. Zant let out cry of frustration as the shadow was ripped apart by the light.

Lanayru, now a visible entity radiating light, whirled around on the false King of Twilight and opened his mouth as wide as the ball of light nestled between his jaws would allow. The light spirit then then dived at Zant, who was too big to move swiftly, and the two of them plunged into the spring that gave off the impression of liquid gold.

Link stepped closer to where the ground dropped off and gave way to the water in order to get a better view. Lanayru suddenly came shooting up out of the water like a geyser of light, forcing Link away from the edge. He tilted his head back to see what was going on. Zant was in the air now as well, creating a ball of Twili magic to launch at the incoming light spirit.

An orange hand shot past Link and wrapped around Zant, jerking him down to a lower altitude. Link turned on his heel to address Midna who didn't even let him pose a question. Instead she said, "While I'm holding him, hit him with that fancy sword move you did earlier, so Lanayru can have a clear shot at the psycho."

Nodding in comprehension, Link turned to face the spring and raised the Master sword once again. Once the divine energy was captured, Link released it, aiming for Zant this time. When the arc of lavender struck the corrupt Twili, Midna relinquished her hold on him. As Zant floated there, temporarily paralyzed by the attack, Lanayru positioned himself directly in front of the Twili. Midna just barely made it back into Link's shadow before Lanayru blasted Zant with light so pure it made Link flinch and avert his gaze to spare his eyes.

He was unable to spare his ears from picking up on the agonized wail Zant let loose as he was disintegrated by the light spirit's power. As quickly as it had started, the sound was abruptly cut off and a few seconds later the light died down as well.

"Thank you, hero," Lanayru rumbled with apparent gratitude as Link turned back to view the spring. He nodded his head in a humble sort of acknowledgement, vaguely wondering why the spirit was thanking him when he hadn't been the one to put a permanent end to Zant.

Even as the water of the spring lost its golden sheen and the light spirit faded, Link couldn't bring himself to believe it was really over. It was so abrupt. He'd imagined Zant's demise to be drawn out and dramatic like Ganondorf's had been. It had been a struggle for a while, but it was a short struggle compared to fights Link had participated in before. A flash of light had ended it all. If only everything could be that simple.

Taking a final look around the cave, Link was met with a comfortable silence. Lanayru was satisfied and that was enough to assure him that Zant's reign of terror on the world was no more. They'd won, so maybe he hadn't lost his touch.

A glint of red floating in the water stopped him from turning completely around to leave, and he took a step closer to the edge. The crimson oval floated without purpose in the clear water of the spring. It was the gem that used to be fixated to the base of Zant's strange helmet, but more than that, it was the gem that had the power to open portals between the world of light and the world of twilight. Almost without thinking, Link dropped down into the water and retrieved the jewel. Midna would need it. Maybe not now, but someday. Link climbed out of the spring and headed for the exit.

He would have believed that Zant's influence on the light realm was completely extinguished along with him, but stepping out of the cavern that contained the worshipped spirit spring proved that wasn't the case. The darkened plum sky to the west was a blemish bordered by gold in the light blue sky. Twilight, but why?

"Midna, why's the Eldin Province not back to normal yet?" Link asked, taking his eyes off of the sky and redirecting his perplexed gaze to the ground where his shadow lay. He watched his shadow shift and darken as Midna effortlessly slid out of it.

"Just because Zant's gone doesn't mean that everything he did will automatically be undone," Midna informed him, but she didn't look at him as she said it. Her attention was focused on the abnormal section of sky.

"Something wrong?" Link wondered, noting Midna's defeated posture, and her crossed arms. She had spoken of killing Zant earlier, so now that he really was dead, Link didn't understand why Midna didn't show at least a little happiness. He could tell there was something she wanted to say, or perhaps it was something she didn't want to say but knew she had to. Whatever it was, he didn't pressure her to explain what was bothering her. If she wanted to tell him she would.

"Zant is…was my cousin," Midna said finally.

"What?" Link was sure he'd misheard, "You're…you were related to that psycho?"

"He wasn't always a psycho," Midna replied, her voice suddenly reminiscent. Link thought she'd elaborate, but his expectations were met with silence, so he remained quiet as well, letting Midna gather her thoughts. If he was patient enough, he was almost positive that she'd answer all of the questions wreaking havoc in his head at the moment without him having to voice a single one.

Sure enough, he was correct. "In your light-dweller years I would have been ten at the time that Zant came to the palace to live with my parents and me," Midna announced using a tone that convinced him she was disinterested in the story she was telling. Link knew better than to believe that though. She cared far more than she was letting on. "My parents were always so busy with making sure the kingdom was running smoothly that they had no time for me. I wouldn't have minded if I had a sibling, but I was an only child then and I still am now.

Back then, I spent all my free time visiting my cousin. He was close to my age and entertaining which was good enough for me. Then his parents died and mine offered to take him in. We were both excited about that because living together made it feel like we were actual siblings which was something we'd always wanted.

But I noticed a change in Zant when he came to live with us. He was still fun, but there was bitterness underlying it all. At first I thought it had to do with his parents, but then I wasn't so sure. He never talked about them, and I didn't dare bring it up for fear of making him mad at me and having no one to talk to.

Whenever I had to attend to my studies instead of being with Zant, he became angry at me. Before his parents' passing he understood the importance of it. I tried to get him to remember why my studies were important, even if they weren't that enjoyable, and suddenly I found myself with a studying partner.

The years came and went, both of us learning more and more of the Twili's history and the duties that fell to our realm's leader. Then it was time for the ceremony to choose the next ruler of the Twili. I was the rightful heir to the throne, so it was no wonder that I was chosen and bestowed the powers befitting only our ruler. You know that Zant thought differently.

I had only let him study with me in hopes that I could change him back into the person he was before his parents died, but never had I thought Zant would take it to another level. He expected to be crowned king and being denied that ruined him. Whatever resentment had been lying dormant within him for years became active and once it was unleashed, there was no going back. You know the rest."

"I'm sorry," was all he could say in response to her tale. Link had never thought of what Midna's life was like prior to meeting her, but he obviously should have given it more thought judging by this new revelation. He had always assumed that Zant was just some random Twili that had stood up to defy her when she was chosen as the Twilight Realm's ruler. Never had he fantasized Zant as being Midna's only friend when she was younger. Not to mention the fact that they were related by blood, cousins with the special bond normally reserved for siblings.

"Don't be," Midna unfolded her arms and flashed him a small smile, "Zant was too far gone to save. He's better off dead. My only regret is not realizing that sooner."

Link didn't know what to say to that, but it turned out that it was best to say nothing for Midna changed the topic, "Anyway, what do you say we get out of here? There's still twilight in need of dispelling."

"Yeah, there is," Link agreed, "but are you sure you're okay?"

"Link, I'm fine. I'll feel even better under the cover of twilight. Let's go, wolf boy," Midna declared, plucking the scarlet gem out of Link's hand and disappearing into his shadow.

This was one of the things he envied about Midna. She could brush off whatever was bothering her with relative ease and keep going. It must have been a secret of the Twili, or perhaps just the leader since Zant was a fairly terrible example when it came to the Twili people's ability of letting things go. Whatever it was, he would appreciate it if she could share the secret with Kid. Goddesses above knows that he needs it.

Link started to trek across the wooden bridges in order to reach Fyer's attraction. Just because Zant was gone didn't mean his job was done. He had much more to do, but for now he was content to take it one step at a time.


	5. Eye of the Storm

The novelty of listening to song after song quickly wore off, and with each unfamiliar tune his newfound hope shattered just a little more. Soon there'd be nothing left of it and he wouldn't even have the will to listen. The music would drift into his ears and wander to the back of his mind where it would remain forever in static.

Princess Zelda, frankly, had no idea what she was doing. That much was evident by the sound the harp produced as she strummed it and plucked mercilessly at its taut golden strings. The grace the princess normally displayed remained even when the gold lyre didn't produce the correct frequencies. If she completely botched up a song, Kid and Tetra wouldn't know the difference. Not a single melody she played, and by now she must have played close to a hundred for them, bore any sort of resemblance to a tune he may have known once.

Music wasn't terribly common on the Great Sea. Not many possessed instruments, and, more often than not, those that did had no idea how to play. In a way, music was a lost art, in another a mystery for the imagination to run off and play with, but it wasn't a forbidden art. The denizens of the Great Sea were free to do just about anything. Kid was sure that the thought to craft an instrument by hand had occurred to someone once, only for them to find that they had no way of doing it. No materials, no experience, and no instructions. It was a lost cause and most wouldn't mind. Who would pay to hear music when money could be much better spent elsewhere?

Pleasant sounds weren't expected on the Great Sea, nor were they longed for. Kid's meager experience with music was born of the wind that he conducted. It was an entire orchestra filled with instruments he had no names for, but that didn't mean he knew much more than the average islander. The melodies he had learned to conduct were sung by the wind and their effects were straight and to the point. None of those songs were what they needed.

Kid's eyes followed Tetra's form for what must have been the hundredth time as she circled around the small sitting area in the Princess of Hyrule's bedchambers. Watching her pace was beginning to make him dizzy.

Tetra had been pacing ever since the fifth song had failed to bring about results. She was antsy and irritable from lack of a promising breakthrough and from being cooped up in the same room all day. And it had been  _all_  day. Lunch had come and gone as had dinner. Kid had pretended to be asleep for the latter, figuring he didn't want to see if Tetra stayed true to her threat at lunch time that if he didn't eat the next meal himself, she'd find a way to shove it down his throat. The sun had set a couple hours ago and the room was now nurtured by the wavering light of many candles.

He wasn't willing to voice it, but he was getting a little concerned about his counterpart and Midna. Shouldn't they have been back by now? Seeing as the province hadn't been plunged into perpetual twilight meant that they had to have subdued Zant by now, so where were they?

"Tetra, please sit down," Princess Zelda requested, lowering the harp to rest on the arm of the couch she was seated on. "You're making me dizzy." Good to know he wasn't the only one.

"If I'm making you dizzy, then don't look," Tetra countered.

Kid casually stuck out his right leg as if he was stretching, intending to force Tetra to stop. However, she nonchalantly stepped over his outstretched leg without missing a beat and continued her pacing. That was as much effort that he was willing to expend for the cause and mutely retracted the obstacle he had created.

"Did you finally run out of songs?" Tetra wondered, when the silence stretched on without a new tune to break it.

"Yes," Princess Zelda sighed. "Are you certain that none of them sounded familiar?"

"Absolutely sure," Tetra responded immediately, "I'd like to know where you'd learned so many songs."

"Why?" the princess asked.

"So you can go learn some more for us," Tetra answered as if it was obvious.

The princess shook her head. "That's not possible. I heard most of those at balls and extravagant parties my parents held when I was much younger. I'm not positive that I recalled some of them correctly, so there's still hope."

If there was still hope, it didn't matter because Kid had lost his again. Glancing at Tetra as she made her way around one more, he noted that the hope she'd held in her eyes all day was quickly fading, only hers didn't transform into sadness like his did. Hers transformed into unmatchable fury.

Tetra stopped and stood completely still for the first time in hours. Her hands balled into fists at her sides and if the untamed fires blazing within her ocean blue irises was any indication, she was more than past due for punching something…or someone.

"Hope," Tetra spoke the word with so make disdain it nearly made Kid flinch, "It's nothing more than wishful thinking. If that's what we're relying on then I agree with Kid. This is hopeless!" She threw her hands up in defeat and plopped down in the nearest unoccupied chair with much more force than was necessary.

"It's not hopeless," Princess Zelda insisted, but Kid could detect the hint of doubt in her voice. It was just a hint, but it was there. "Just because we haven't discovered the correct song yet doesn't mean we never will."

"Oh yeah? And when does our search end, Zelda? Tomorrow? A week from now? A month? Years?" Tetra shot back.

The princess opened her mouth to respond but a knock from behind her closed bedroom doors interrupted her. As she rose to answer it, she picked up the Goddess Harp and passed it to Tetra who accepted it with a scowl on her face. The princess probably meant for Tetra to hide it in case the person at the door was someone she didn't want to see the lyre. Instead, Kid watched as Tetra brooded in the seat across from him, teasing a single string on the harp.

Deciphering what Tetra was thinking has always been a challenge for Kid. With each passing day he was sure that he improved, and then she did something that made him realize that he didn't know as much about her as he thought he did. Her words implied that she was giving up but the fire in her eyes didn't show any signs of fading.

Tetra was the most stubborn person he knew, and it was for that reason he didn't want her to give up with him. They needed a miracle that could only be instigated by Tetra's headstrong attitude. If she gave up, he feared they'd never get home.

Kid's gaze dropped to his lap where Aryll's telescope lay. He'd retrieved it from the room he shared with Link earlier because he didn't want to risk losing it. If he never made it back to the Great Sea, and that was looking more and more likely as the day progressed, he wanted to have something solid to remember his sister by. His breath caught as he absorbed this possibility in full. If they were stuck here for the rest of their lives, then they'd never be able to fulfill the promise they made to King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. As he and Tetra had floated back to the surface shielded by bubbles, Kid was almost positive that he'd heard the king called them the seeds of the future. If that was true, then their world didn't have a future without them in it.

They wouldn't have much of a future here either. He would never get to see his family again, and Tetra would lose her standing as pirate captain along with her entire crew. They would become two orphaned kids with nowhere to go. What would happen to them then?

"Nice to see you're back Tetra," Link commented, startling Kid out of his thoughts. Kid quickly looked his counterpart over. He appeared to be fine, so what had taken so long?

"I never left, dimwit," Tetra shot back, her stony expression growing even stonier.

"Well, you're in a good mood," Link observed sarcastically.

"Seriously, what bit you?" Midna wondered, melting out of the shadows and becoming a solid entity, "I thought you'd be a little happier since you're back to normal. How'd you manage that anyway?"

"Just shut up!" Tetra snapped, ignoring the questions and keeping her eyes trained on the single, golden harp string she was messing with as if she blamed it for everything wrong with the universe.

"Hey, Kid," Link greeted him, apparently giving up on engaging Tetra in conversation for the time being. He shouldn't have though. Link had a better chance of holding a meager conversation with Tetra, even if it mostly consisted of screaming, than he did with him. Kid let his gaze fall to the telescope in his lap, not waiting to see the sympathetic smile on his counterpart's face. Sympathy meant nothing, especially now.

"You two have been gone all day. Was there an issue?" Princess Zelda inquired when it became clear that Link wouldn't be receiving a response from either of their counterparts. The only thing that kept Kid from tuning out was the fact that he wanted to know the answer to Zelda's question too.

"Not really," Link replied, taking a seat next to the princess as Midna reclined on the arm of Kid's chair.

"Zant won't be bothering anyone anymore," Midna spoke up, "We took care of him. Well, technically, Lanayru did, but we helped. Eee hee!"

"So what took so long?" Princess Zelda wondered.

"My, my, did you miss us that much?" Midna teased, "I'm touched."

"Even when Zant was disposed of, the Twilight over the Eldin Province refused to lift, so we had to travel all the way there to dispel it. After that, we stayed in Kakariko Village for a while," Link explained.

"Was there a particular reason for that?" Zelda asked. Something in her tone made Kid suspect that there was more than curiosity behind her inquiry.

"Well, naturally everyone was sort of freaked out. The Resistance were still in Kakariko, and I ended up talking to them and some of the other people I personally know there," Link reflected, "Why? Did you need us here for something?"

The princess didn't respond, and Kid suddenly felt eyes on him. He didn't dare raise his head though. Before the pause in conversation could become awkward, Midna changed the subject, "So what have you guys been up to while we were gone?"

"Research," Princess Zelda answered, "So far we've established a method of traveling to the Great Sea, but we don't have a way there yet."

"What's the method?" Link wondered.

"We must play a certain song on the Goddess Harp. As of right now, determining the correct song is still a work in progress," the princess admitted.

"How will you know if it's the right song?" Midna asked.

"It is supposed to be a backward version of the song the sages played to get them all here. Since neither of them remember the original song, we've been experimenting in order to figure out what it was," Princess Zelda explained, "I've played every song I can think of but none of them are what we're looking for."

"I remember a couple songs from my last adventure. If you'll let me have the harp I can try to play them," Link said, glancing at Tetra expectantly. She had no problem relinquishing her possession of the golden lyre and practically threw the instrument at him. Link didn't comment on her hostility and experimentally plucked at the strings of the lyre until he found the notes he was looking for. Link then played a few melodies on the harp that were new to Kid's ears. None of them sounded familiar, and Tetra shook her head furiously every single time he paused in his playing.

"It must be an old song, right?" Midna interjected, glancing between Kid and Tetra for their input.

"I don't know. Maybe. Why? What makes you think it's an old song?" Tetra wondered.

"Just because the goddess Hylia had to know it. I mean, she did set this up for you guys so the song that brought you here must be ancient," Midna concluded.

"Shad knows a lot about ancient things. Maybe I can go ask him tomorrow," Link proposed.

"That scholar guy? Are you sure he knows stuff about songs?" Tetra queried, doubtful.

Link shrugged, "I'm not really sure, but he does research a ton of old things. He probably knows something we don't."

"Or we could ask Fi," Kid suggested, surprising himself and everyone else when he spoke up, "She really is ancient."

"That's true," Link agreed. "Fi? Do you know any songs?"

The sword spirit materialized beside Link, hovering just inches above the floor. "There are a total of five songs stored on record. Which one would you like to hear, Master?"

"Uh...all of them?" Link replied uncertainly, almost as if he hadn't expected Fi to say that she knew any songs.

Fi bowed her head in a nod before opening her mouth to begin. Kid honestly had no idea what he expected to hear, however, he was startled by the sound that met his ears. Fi was actually singing, not just notes, but words. Ancient words. Kid thought that it must have been the closest to emotion she'd displayed thus far. It was certainly musical. The song projected by her automatic voice wasn't familiar, and yet it was. Kid knew it wasn't the song that had brought them to this alternate world. It was too jubilant a tune. For some reason, it reminded him of a wooded area teeming with life. He could almost imagine flowers unfurling their colorful blossoms in order to capture the forest's song in their petals as leaves were whisked into mini whirlwinds and forced to dance to the lively music.

Kid found himself disappointed when the song was over, but Fi moved on to the next one without needing any orders. Link  _had_  said he wanted to hear them all. The next tune was much slower, but that didn't make it dull. Fi seemed to have the ability to make her voice echo and often he was sure that he heard underlying accompaniment which sounded like tinkling bells. The song itself reminded him of water dripping into a pool, like a waterfall streaming down a cliffside and entering the clear water below drop by drop instead of in a deafening white mess of foam.

"Too relaxing," Tetra complained, "This isn't it."

Fi finished her song despite Tetra's rejection, and then moved onto the next. This one was so abrupt it made Kid suck in a quiet breath. It was fast paced and passionate. Thoughts of fire immediately entered his head, and Kid could have sworn that the candles burned a little brighter and the mini flames bristled a little more as Fi sang. Kid gave a barely imperceptible shake of his head. This song wasn't it either. It was too forceful. Each note was screaming, rather than singing, in his brain, causing him to become lightheaded.

As Fi started on her fourth song, Kid found it harder to retain interest. At first it had seemed like a good idea, but now he wasn't so sure. The song she was singing now held the same strange sense of familiarity as the others had, but Kid knew that it wasn't the right song. It reminded him of every good deed he'd ever done, everything that made him a hero, which in turn reminded him how he was failing at that particular job of his at the moment. The song ended, and Kid didn't feel any better than he had when it started.

For the final song, Kid took his eyes off of the singing spirit and allowed his thoughts to carry his consciousness to the darkness that had been sucking at him all day. He didn't need to hear anymore, for he'd heard enough. Listening to another song would only disappoint him further.

Suddenly Tetra was grasping his shoulders, shaking him and practically yelling. No, she  _was_  yelling. Bewildered, Kid's attention was pulled from the dark recesses of his mind to the very front. Was something wrong? Did he faint without realizing it? Was she freaking out because she finally realized they were stuck here forever? Well, he was way ahead of her on that one.

"This is it! It's the song, Kid, I know it is! Isn't it?!" Tetra shouted, still shaking him. He didn't move to stop her, but he did listen. His curiosity overpowering the despair inside him.

Fi's voice was clear as she sang in a different language, the notes piling on top of each other, climbing closer towards anticipation, towards a tune he'd only heard once but suddenly felt that he knew so well. He could recall how Medli's lyre had mixed with the sweet undertones of Makar's viola to create this wonderful song. A masterpiece he only had the pleasure of hearing one time, and yet, here he was hearing it again. This time with lyrics that made no sense to him. The words didn't matter though, just the sound.

"That's it," Kid confirmed, his eyes wide in shock as Tetra released her grip on his shoulders. Kid straightened in his seat and locked eyes with Fi as she finished the song. "Fi, what's that song called?"

"The Ballad of the Goddess," Fi supplied, her voice once again lacking any emotion, but it was okay. She'd shown enough already.

"Of course it is," Tetra scoffed.

"Sing the Ballad of the Goddess backwards Fi," Kid commanded.

"Kid, I don't think she can-" Link cut in, but was interrupted by Fi.

"As you wish, Master," Fi responded, fully prepared to obey. She then began to sing again. To Kid's astonishment, her voice found a melody, unlike the countless songs Zelda had played forwards and then backwards on the Goddess Harp which had all been warped and odd, as if someone had simply thrust a bunch of notes together and threatened to call them a song.

Princess Zelda let out a small gasp as Fi continued to sing. "Why didn't I think of that before? How could  _that_  song have slipped my mind?"

"How do you know the song Fi's singing?" Midna wondered, tilting her head to the side in curiosity.

"It's the royal family's song," Princess Zelda said, "It has been for centuries."

"But…it can't be," Tetra refused to accept the information, shaking her head.

"Why not?" Princess Zelda asked.

Tetra's hand found her bandana, and she was silent, thinking. "It can't be the royal family's because…my mom wouldn't…it was hers. It's mine. It's not yours!"

"Huh? What do you mean it's yours?" Midna inquired, "Did you make the song?"

"No, but my mom said…when I was little she said it was my song. It was special…" Tetra trailed off, her former excitement forgotten as she began to recall old memories she worked so hard to bury.

"It  _is_  special," Princess Zelda agreed, "Your mother wasn't lying to you. It really is your song. It's mine as well."

"How can it belong to both of us though?" Tetra exclaimed, her eyes blazing, "My mom told me that it was made for me, and if anyone else knew it-"

"Then you could put full, undying trust in that person. Correct?" Princess Zelda guessed.

"Yes. How did you know that?" Tetra asked, wary.

"Because my mother told me the same thing when I was younger," Princess Zelda explained, "She'd sing that song to me every night. Is that what your mother did for you?" At Tetra's small, disbelieving nod, the princess continued. "That song is made for the Princess of Hyrule. It's called Zelda's Lullaby."

"Zelda's…?" Tetra repeated, biting her lip and lowering her gaze to the floor when she couldn't get the full title out. Kid watched her shake her head and cross her arms as if it didn't faze her. She wasn't fooling him though. "Whatever. Who cares what the stupid song is? Just play it already," Tetra ordered the princess, who was currently in possession of the sacred instrument.

"Not yet," Princess Zelda refused with a slight shake of her head. Kid leapt to his feet to stand beside Tetra who was equally shocked by the answer she'd received.

"Not yet? What do you mean not yet?!" Tetra exploded, "Now that we have a way home, I'm not waiting a second longer!"

"Why can't we go now?" Kid wanted to know, managing to keep his voice level but just barely.

"There are still some things we must prepare for. At the very least I must gather some supplies before we depart," Princess Zelda explained, in a way that Kid could only describe as cold hearted. After all this time they could go home. More importantly, he had a way to his missing friends and little sister. Now the Princess of Hyrule was standing in their way. Since when did their friend turn into their greatest enemy?

"What's to prepare for? It's our home!" Tetra fumed, "We know what's there. We can get any supplies we need at Windfall. You said yourself that our potions are more effective anyway!"

"Do you have the money to pay for all of it?" Princess Zelda challenged.

"We have money," Kid assured her, "We can pay for anything we'll need, right, Tetra?"

When he looked to the young pirate captain her brow was furrowed in thought. "We do have money," Tetra confirmed finally, "but the money we have is strictly for supplying the ship and repairing it if need be. It doesn't matter though. We can do a little piracy to fund us if we need to along the way."

"So…it boils down to stealing?" Link concluded, "I don't like that idea."

"No, not stealing! Treasure hunting," Tetra corrected him.

"Taking things from people is called stealing," Link informed her as if she was a small child that didn't know the difference between right and wrong.

"The ocean floor isn't a person. It won't miss anything we take from it," Tetra argued, her hands finding her hips, "What do you take me for?"

"Well…you said you were a pirate and you're talking about committing piracy to get money so…" Link trailed off, uncertain of his interpretation of the word pirate.

Tetra rolled her eyes. "Look, don't stereotype me. Just because I'm a pirate doesn't mean I ransack villages or kill people! There's barely any of those anyway. I'll admit, some pirates can get nasty, but not all of them are so bad. My crew and I, we search for treasure, and believe me there's a lot of it to find, sunken kingdom and all, or we hunt down people that are being jerks and scare them into being more agreeable. If you want an example, there was this shop owner on Windfall. He owned the only bomb shop on the Great Sea. There used to be another, but it got wrecked. Anyway, he was charging super high prices, like ten thousand rupees for ten bombs. It was insane! And people need bombs on the Great Sea, fishermen especially, but pirates also. After we got done with him, the guy was a totally different person. His prices weren't only reasonable, but generous, and now he makes more than he would have charging those insane prices! See? Everyone's happy and nothing but that guy's ego had to die."

"So you guys are like…reformers?" Midna wondered.

"Sure, if you want to call it that," Tetra shrugged.

"Back to the point, you two don't have money to spare?" Zelda inquired.

Tetra sighed in resignation, "No, Zelda. We don't."

"That's why we need to prepare. We have a chance to, and we'd be fools to not take it. We'll leave the day after tomorrow." Princess Zelda announced.

"What?!" Kid and Tetra exclaimed at the same time.

"NO! You can have tonight to prepare, but we're not waiting an entire  _day_! If I stay cooped up in this room much longer, I'll go crazy! We leave tomorrow morning," Tetra declared in a tone that implied the topic wasn't available for compromise. In Kid's opinion, tomorrow morning wasn't soon enough. Anything could happen to the Great Sea by morning. Ghirahim already had a head start on them as it was.

"We go now," Kid interjected, "I don't want to wait."

"Be that as it may, I'm afraid you must," Princess Zelda replied, holding up a gloved hand for silence when Kid opened his mouth to interrupt. "Just listen for a minute. When you came here, all of you were separated. How do we know that playing this song in this specific location will take us back to the exact place you two and your companions departed from? If we land somewhere else entirely or become separated from each other, what then?"

"Then we deal with it," Tetra stated, annoyed with Princess Zelda's logic.

"And if we land in the middle of the ocean with no islands to be seen for miles?" Princess Zelda wondered. Neither of them said anything to that. The princess accepted their silence as her own victory and continued, "Here's what I suggest: We compare the map of your world with ours, see how they match up and determine the best place to play the song in order to give us the best chance of being transported to the correct island."

Kid wasn't willing to admit it was a good idea, so he silently got out his sea chart as Link produced a map of Hyrule from one of his pouches. They spread both maps out on the floor, sitting around them in a half circle so everyone could see. Fi, who had finished her song long ago, had dismissed herself and returned to the Master Sword strapped to Link's back.

"First of all, where would the castle be on your map if it was there?" Princess Zelda asked him. Kid pointed out where the Tower of the Gods was on his sea chart and the princess frowned. Kid knew why even though he couldn't read the other map. There was an unmistakable castle depicted in the very center of the map of Hyrule, whereas the location of Hyrule Castle was shifted the right on his sea chart.

"Can you both estimate about where you found yourselves when you arrived?" Princess Zelda requested.

Kid switched his attention to the map of Hyrule, his eyes following the trail to the south gate and trying to mentally calculate how far they had been from the town. He hesitated before tapping the middle of the southern section of the sketch of Hyrule field. A second later Tetra pointed to an outlying section near the south.

"Well, you both landed in the Faron Province," Link observed. Kid didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing since they hadn't landed anywhere close to each other within the province. Wherever the border was, he was sure Tetra was towards the bottom of it and he the top.

"On your map-" Princess Zelda began.

"Sea chart," Tetra corrected the princess, "It's a sea chart."

"Right, the sea chart. Where were you when you left?" Princess Zelda inquired.

"Windfall Island," Tetra announced, sliding her finger over to the sea chart and pointing to where the island was since the princess could not read it.

"Eee hee hee! It just went from something we could work with to something completely random. That makes no sense," Midna laughed, indicating both pieces of parchment with a wave of her hand. Kid failed to see what was so funny about it. The longer they debated over this topic, the longer they remained in Hyrule. Nonetheless, he had to agree that it didn't make much sense. They had landed to the south of Hyrule and started from the north in their world.

Princess Zelda reached over and turned his sea chart around so they were all viewing it upside down.

"Sure, that's one way you can make north into south," Link joked.

"It makes more sense now though, doesn't it?" Zelda pointed out, "Look, in relation to where the castle is on their sea chart and where the castle is on our map, the island they were last on and the locations they awoke in are relatively close.

"Tetra was closer," Kid noted, "She was practically in the same spot as the island would have been."

"And you weren't, so why?" Zelda mused, "It doesn't make sense for there to be that much of a difference. In relation to where you arrived in Hyrule, you should have departed from here." The princess pointed to the square that contained Eastern Fairy Island.

"The way I see it, it doesn't matter all that much," Tetra interrupted, getting to her feet, "If we play the song from here, we'll most likely end up in the Tower of the Gods. Believe me, there are worse places to be."

"But your ship isn't there, is it?" Link wondered.

"No, but the Tower of the Gods isn't too far from Windfall. We can catch a ride from Beedle if we have to. Doesn't he make rounds there?" Tetra nudged Kid for an answer and he slowly nodded, trying to recall the chart he'd received of Beedle's locations from memory. He was almost positive that Beedle passed by the Tower of the Gods.

"Who is Beetle?" Midna asked, "Is he a bug?"

"Beedle, not Beetle," Kid said, "He runs a shop ship that travels around the Great Sea."

"That could work," the princess admitted, "but it's still risky. I'd like to look into it more before we go, and I need more than tonight to do that properly."

"What more is there to look into?!" Tetra exclaimed.

"Well, for one Link and I would look suspicious dressed as we are at the moment," Princess Zelda pointed out, "So my next question is in regards to the weather. What is it like at this time of year?"

"You're not going on a vacation, goddesses!" Tetra seethed, any patience she managed to retain from earlier now nonexistent, "It's a freaking ocean! It's tropical weather all year round! If you're not willing to take us tomorrow morning then the deal's off. We can do this without you guys. Just give me the stupid instrument, and Kid and I will leave right now!"

"You two can't do it on your own," Princess Zelda objected, "That's the reason why Hylia brought us all together."

"I don't care! Kid, and I can do it. We killed Ganondorf by ourselves. We don't need your help," Tetra countered. She held her hand out to the princess, "Now give the lyre to me, or I'll take it by force."

The princess stood, cradling the Goddess Harp in her arms like a newborn. "I'm sorry, Tetra, but I'm not giving it to you."

Tetra said nothing in response and charged forward, leaping over both maps and straight for the princess who raised the harp high above her head. Before she reached the princess, Link was on his feet and holding her back.

"Let me go you idiot!" Tetra yelled.

"I will when you calm down," Link returned, struggling to keep her restrained without hurting her, "There's no way you're leaving without us."

"Then let go and come with us," Tetra ordered, "You can't really agree with her keeping us here longer, can you?"

"Normally I'm fine with winging it, but if we have a choice we should be smart about it," Link answered honestly. Kid slowly got to his feet, uncertain if he should intervene and attempt to calm his best friend down. Once he would have stepped in without thinking, but now he was reconsidering. If Link really believed that, then it was two against one. Maybe if he rebelled with Tetra, they could leave now.

Kid understood his companions' concern to an extent, but suddenly he didn't care. Let them get dumped in the ocean! Let them get stranded on a deserted island! Let them materialize in the middle of a crowd of people and have to explain their way out of the awkward situation with half formed lies! At least it would be home.

In the instance that they actually did land on the wrong island, he was sure they could manage. Even if it took days, they could survive. Princess Zelda was just being unreasonable. All she needed was to gather some supplies tonight and they could leave in the morning but no! She was asking for an entire day! A day that they had the option of spending on the Great Sea, instead of in a landlocked Hyrule. A day where they could be searching for their missing friends, for his  _little sister_.

His decision was made, but he never had any time to execute it for he witnessed Tetra's hand slink towards the handle of her dagger and his mind was a second too late on processing what the gesture meant. By the time he realized her intentions, Tetra was already sliding her dagger free of its sheath and whirled around so fast he barely saw it. Link made a sound that was caught somewhere between pain and shock, and she was free.

"Tetra!" Link shouted stunned by her actions and clutching his right hand. Kid saw blood trickle out between is fingers.

"Still don't believe I'm serious?" Tetra raised an eyebrow, her dagger raised as she glanced between Link and Zelda. The tension in the air hung heavy over their heads, making Kid claustrophobic. His brain was muddled, trying to sort out what just happened, and if he should do anything about it.

The rest of them seemed equally shocked as Tetra glared at them with her dagger held poised to strike. Then she moved toward the princess, taking advantage of their disbelief.

"Put the dagger down, Tetra," Princess Zelda demanded.

"Give me the harp and I might," Tetra replied, reaching for the instrument that Zelda held protectively above her head. It was then that Tetra's shadow shifted and became a creature big enough to swallow her whole. Before Kid knew what was happening, a large orange hand wrapped around Tetra and slammed her to the floor. As soon as she hit the ground, her dagger flew from her hand, and Tetra screamed in frustration.

Tetra strained against the hand, trying to reach her dagger. However, the princess was closer and bent down to retrieve the weapon. Only when Princess Zelda had the dagger in her possession did the hand release Tetra. Kid thought it was over, but he couldn't have been more wrong.

"Give it back!" Tetra shouted, scrambling to her feet, eyes leaping with fire and hands curling into fists as she advanced on the princess who held the weapon behind her back with her free hand. Just when Kid thought Tetra was going to punch her counterpart, Midna appeared between the two of them. Before the pirate girl could say or do anything more, the Twilight Princess slapped her so hard across the face that Kid could hear the loud  _smack!_  that sounded as a result.

Tetra reeled back from the blow, kneeling on the floor with a hand to her cheek.

"You slapped me," Tetra whispered incredulously.

"And I'll do it again if you give me a reason to," Midna informed her, sounding proud of herself. Then her tone changed to a dangerous one, "I don't care who you are or what you've been through, don't you _ever_  hurt my wolf again."

"Or what? What'll you do?" Tetra tested, looking up at Midna, her shock replaced with anger because angry was the only thing she knew how to be now. Kid sensed that she was about to be hit again and moved between them. What Tetra did couldn't be excused, but he couldn't excuse Midna's actions either. That was his best friend she'd just slapped and she had another think coming if she thought he'd let it slide.

"Move," Midna ordered him, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at him as if she could intimidate him. He'd seen far more terrifying things in his nightmares.

"No," Kid said, returning Midna's glare, "Leave her alone."

"After what she just did to Link?! No way," Midna disagreed, "Now move, or I'll make you!" Kid had no doubt about that. He felt a light tap on his hand and then it was gone.

"Okay, I'll move," Kid relented, stepping aside. As he did so, Tetra's hand found his and he yanked her to her feet in a second. They streaked past Midna on either side and caught the princess off guard.

Kid personally didn't want to hurt anyone, which is why he went for the golden lyre while Tetra only had sights for her stolen weapon. He was vaguely aware of Link yelling at them all to stop, but Kid had made his decision, and he would stick to it.

Running past the princess and jumping onto the couch, Kid turned and reached for the harp, but he was still too short to reach it. Noticing what he was trying to do, the princess distanced herself from the couch while attempting to keep possession of the dagger as Tetra tried to pry her fingers off of it.

Princess Zelda must have felt that keeping the dagger was more important and dropped the harp, using her free hand to summon a gust of wind that knocked Tetra back off of her feet. The princess had probably been planning on being fast enough to reclaim the harp, but Kid leaped off the couch and caught it before it could hit the floor.

He stumbled a bit upon landing but managed to stay upright. In his peripheral vision he witnessed his shadow shift and immediately knew it was Midna. He stepped back just as she lunged out of the shadows, appearing to be one of them. She'd have to do better than that if she wanted to-

An unexpected wind pushed him backward, and Kid tightened his grip on the instrument as he fell. He landed on his left shoulder which instantly alighted with pain. Trying to push away the invisible fire crawling up his arm, he rolled over and sat up.

Before he could catch his breath, Midna appeared. This time, she was a streak of shadow in his vision. Her orange hair wrapped around the harp and yanked it out of his grasp. Kid stumbled to his feet, desperate to take back the instrument. It was their only chance of getting home.

His head swam but that didn't stop him from lunging for it. The Twilight Princess backed out of reach, and Kid found himself on the floor wondering why the room was spinning.

"Kid, help me!" Tetra yelled for assistance, and that was all it took to get him on his feet. It took him a few seconds to locate her, but once he did, it took him a little longer to realize that he wasn't seeing things. A blue dome surrounded the pirate captain and no matter how hard she pressed against it or punched it, it didn't disappear or move an inch. The princess had put a shield around her and didn't appear to be in the mood to take it down by choice anytime soon. As unsteady as he was on his feet, Kid started towards the princess, not knowing what he would do to get her to release Tetra when he got there.

Maybe it was better that he never did get there. Someone caught his left wrist and pulled him back, reminding him of his throbbing shoulder. He didn't understand why it was hurting so much. He had landed on it, but not hard enough to leave a bruise. Kid tried to twist out of his captor's grip.

"Stop it," Link said, and Kid did stop, but not because his counterpart wanted him to. He stopped because the more he struggled, the more his arm hurt. "We can't leave right this second, but I see no problem with tomorrow morning."

"Seriously?" Kid wondered, tilting his head back so he could see his counterpart.

"Yes," Link confirmed, "Seriously."

"Well, why didn't you say that before numbskull?!" Tetra shouted, slamming a fist on the barrier that the princess had placed around her.

"You never gave me a chance," Link replied as he released Kid. Kid breathed an inward sigh of relief at the lack of tension on his arm.

"I can't have everything ready by tomorrow morning. It's already late," Princess Zelda objected.

"I'll help you," Link promised.

"Now that that's sorted out will you let me out of here?!" Tetra requested, kicking the transparent blue shield impatiently. The princess wiped the barrier out of existence with a wave of her hand.

"My dagger?" Tetra wanted to know, holding out an expectant hand.

"You'll get it back when we arrive in your world," Princess Zelda informed her.

"That's completely unfair! It's mine. You have no right to take it," Tetra glowered.

"I have every right. If you're not going to use weapons properly, then I won't allow you to have them. There is no reason for you to be armed in the castle anyway. You are not in danger," Princess Zelda explained.

"It was self-defense," Tetra muttered, crossing her arms and refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

"Self-defense?! He wasn't even trying to hurt you!" Midna protested.

"I'm fine, Midna," Link cut in before Tetra had a chance to respond and start the fighting all over again, "Drop it. It's over and done with now."

"You're okay with her turning on you like that?" Midna exclaimed, shocked.

"No, but you don't have to keep chewing her out for it. It's not like she seriously injured me. It's just a small cut. Nothing a potion won't fix," Link pointed out.

"Fine," Midna surrendered. She turned back to Tetra, "But I'm not sorry for slapping you." The Twili then blended with the shadows, and Kid lost sight of her.

"Both of you should go to bed," Princess Zelda suggested, glancing between him and Tetra when no one said anything, "You're obviously overtired."

"Don't tell me what I am!" Tetra scowled, "I'll go to sleep when I feel like it." As tired as he felt, Kid didn't want to go to sleep either. Nightmares would seek him out just like they had last night and the more fatigued he was the longer he would be vulnerable to them.

Kid suddenly found himself stumbling after Tetra towards the doors of the princess's bedchambers as she pulled him along by his right arm.

"Where are you going?" Link wondered, sounding confused. Kid was equally confused and glad to not be the only one lost.

"For a walk. Don't follow us," Tetra responded, her tone curt. If this answer was meant to clue Kid in to what was going on, then it failed. If anything he was more puzzled than before. Why were they going for a walk?

Tetra flung open one of the doors, and Kid thought it was fortunate that they opened in instead of out because otherwise one of the guards would have probably gotten nailed in the face. The door shut with a slam behind them but by that time they were already halfway down the hall. Kid struggled to match Tetra's fast pace as she led him down a flight of stairs, and then a long stretch of feebly lit hallway.

"Where are we going?" he asked after they had started to jog down what must have been their fifth or sixth hallway. Tetra chose to yank him down another flight of stairs in favor of answering his question. They stopped abruptly in the middle of the next hallway, and Tetra looked in both directions as if checking to see if it was clear. Kid looked too but only saw shadows and flickering firelight from the sconces on the walls.

She then released him and kneeled down close to the left hand wall, running her hand along the white baseboard until she found what she was looking for. He watched as she pulled down on the baseboard and became surprised when about three feet of it fell away to reveal open darkness. Tetra then gripped the bottom edge of the exposed wall and lifted. The panel moved on invisible hinges and Kid estimated it to be about five feet tall.

"How'd you know that was there?" Kid wondered. He hadn't noticed anything different about this particular spot compared to the rest of the wall.

"Zelda told me about it when I asked if there were any secret rooms in the castle last night," Tetra replied, holding the panel as high above her head as she could.

"Why were you asking about secret rooms?" It seemed like a very out of the blue topic to him.

"We were talking about the castle and how it was getting rebuilt after what happened last year. There's still remodeling going on, you know? Anyway, I'd always heard that castles have hidden passages so I wanted to know if it was true," Tetra said, adjusting her hold on the raised section of wall.

"So why are we here?" Kid wanted to know as he watched his best friend step over the fallen baseboard and into the airy darkness beyond.

"Because it's private," Tetra responded. Kid reached out to help her keep the panel up. Once his hands were on it, Tetra took hers off. A small shock startled him and he quickly dug out the Pirate's Charm from his pouch with one hand. A soft blue glow emitted from the stone and when he looked up at Tetra he saw that her stone lit up a small circle in the darkness behind the wall. She motioned for him to follow, and he stepped inside, gripping the panel by the bottom so it didn't slam. Tetra placed the charm around her neck where it floated like she was underwater. She pulled the baseboard back into place by slipping her fingers into a small indentation he hadn't noticed before.

They were completely sealed inside the secret passage now which was much colder than he'd expected it to be. He felt a slight breeze blowing through it as well and concluded that it must connect to somewhere outside. After Kid slipped the charm around his neck, the two of them continued through the passage with Tetra in the lead.

Even with the aid of the blue stones it was difficult to see much of anything. By sense of touch, Kid could detect that the walls to either side of them were fairly close together since he couldn't stretch both of his arms out to either side with hitting the wall. The floor was uneven as far as he could tell, but then he noticed a pattern to it and realized that the depressions were steps.

Kid began to tread with more caution than before. Falling wasn't a good idea because he had no idea how many steps there really were. There was a chance that the passage wasn't even finished. After all, the castle was still being remodeled, and for good reason if what Link had told him about the building exploding was true.

A few minutes later the ground flattened out and the two of them were left facing a wall. Further investigating proved that the passage continued to the left and right. Tetra chose to go right and eventually the area opened up into a small room that was just as dark as the rest of the tunnels. Kid raised the glowing stone in his possession in an attempt to see better but only ended up partially blinding himself and having to spend the next minute blinking away the spots of color. He was about to slip it off and hold it by the leather string tied around it instead but a tap on his shoulder stopped him.

The blue glow from Tetra's charm illuminated her face and made everything else seem even darker. She held up a piece of paper to his face, but it was too close to read. Kid grabbed it and cupped the glowing Pirate's Charm in his hand so he could control the direction of the light. Unlike every other sign and book in this world, Kid could read the words on this paper. It was written in the modern Hylian he was used to. Silently, he began to read it, which was a little challenging when a small blue stone was the only source of light to be had.

' _You were looking paler and paler by the second so I decided to get you out of there before anyone else noticed. If you need to say something, write it.'_

Kid looked at Tetra with a puzzled expression on his face when he was finished reading and held out his hand for a writing utensil. She provided him with one and showed him to a small table set up in the middle of the room that he hadn't been able to see before due to the poor lighting.

' _Why does it matter if anyone else notices? Why are we passing notes?'_  Kid wrote before pushing the paper and pencil to Tetra so she could respond. He did admit that he wasn't feeling well but that was probably because he hadn't consumed anything for the past two days and he was far too anxious to eat anything now. Tetra slid the paper back to him and his eyes scanned the letters written in Tetra's surprisingly neat hand.

' _Because if the others notice and you actually are sick then they won't let us go home tomorrow. Zelda will take any excuse she can get to stay here another day and if she finds out she'll probably make up some crap like "it's not safe to travel between worlds when you're sick". Besides that, Link is super overprotective of us; you've noticed that, right? If you're sick he'll make sure you stay in bed. Midna is the reason for the notes. I wouldn't put spying past her. She did it before.'_

He took the pencil and tapped it against his chin in a contemplative matter. Kid commended Tetra for the notes. With so many shadows around, it would be easy for Midna to snoop on them for the others or her own personal amusement. For once, their separate written languages was beneficial.

Kid then wrote back,  _'I don't know if I'm sick or not.'_

After reading his response, Tetra wrote quickly,  _'You look it to me, and that'll be enough for them to keep us here longer.'_

' _So what do you want me to do about it?'_  He exchanged the paper with Tetra again and sat down on the floor to await her response. The more he processed the possibility of being ill, the worse he began to feel.

Tetra passed him the paper and he took it and saw she had written,  _'Don't let the others know you're not feeling well. Perk up some.'_

That was easy enough to say and write but actually doing it was much more difficult. Seeming to notice his hesitance to answer, Tetra whisked the square piece of paper out of his hand and scribbled something else on it before shoving it back into his hands. Reading with a blue light source was starting to mess with his vision, and Kid rubbed his eyes before attempting to read Tetra's latest note. _'I'll help you cover it up. We can sneak into the kitchen and get you something to eat and drink. (I'm pretty sure these passages connect to most of the main rooms of the castle.) You just have to fake it until we get to the Great Sea tomorrow morning. Once we're there we can verify if you're sick or not and we'll take care of it if you are.'_

In all honestly, Kid didn't think he could keep anything down if he tried. Suddenly, he began to wonder if keeping it a secret was a good idea. If he couldn't eat, that was serious, right? It was one thing to decide not to eat, but it was another if he really couldn't. If something was seriously wrong, he'd rather not wait. Even if the potions from the Great Sea were brewed with more healing properties than the ones in Hyrule, they didn't help illnesses. Those potions were strictly for restoring magical energy and healing minor to moderate wounds.

Kid grabbed the pencil and flattened the paper out on the floor. Then he wrote,  _'What if I'm really sick? It'll only get worse and by the time we get home it might take a long time for me to recover. When we get home I want to look for Aryll, Medli, and Makar first thing, not lay in bed for days.'_  He stared at it for a couple seconds before holding it out to Tetra. She snatched it out of his hand impatiently and skimmed over the many words for his response. Tetra sighed in annoyance and held her hand out for the pencil which Kid wasted no time in delivering. She then flipped the paper over and hastily scrawled her next message on it.

When she handed it back, Kid had no trouble finding the newest words since they were now the only ones on the thin parchment _._ _'Quit worrying so much. I think Link has been rubbing off on you. You're probably not even sick for real. You're just weak because you haven't been eating or sleeping much. That's easy to fix. As I said, we can go sneak something from the kitchen, and then you can sleep tonight. You'll be fine.'_

It was almost amusing how simple Tetra made it sound. She was most likely correct on the diagnosis she'd come up with but her method of curing him wasn't going to work. Even if he did manage to eat something and keep it where it's supposed to be, that didn't mean that he wouldn't have nightmares. Nothing Tetra could say or do would take those away, and it was for that reason he wouldn't be able to get any rest.

Knowing her and how insensitive she could be, especially when she was irritable, Kid chose not to mention the bad dreams. She'd only tell him to suck it up and stop being a baby because dreams weren't real. After reclaiming their shared writing tool, Kid scrawled what he intended to be his last note on the piece of paper,  _'Okay. Should we go now?'_  Tetra snatched the paper away from him as soon as he set down the pencil and her eyes swept over the letters as her brain swiftly processed them into words and then meaning.

She dropped the paper and nodded to him in agreement. Kid got to his feet, slowly so as not to welcome a dizzy spell, and they headed back the way they'd come. If it was possible, the passage became even darker. They eventually resorted to groping along the wall since the glow of the stones barely provided enough light to illuminate their entire forms and blindly moving forward seemed like a bad idea.

After what must have been fifteen minutes later, the two of them found the kitchen. Despite the late hour, the kitchen seemed to be busier than ever and just the smell of food cooking and bread baking made his stomach tie itself in a knot. The kitchen itself was visible through a grate near the bottom of the wall that they could easily remove. However, it was far too small for them to squeeze through.

Sheltering their enhanced gossip stones in their cupped hands to minimize the glow, the two of them were currently laying on their stomachs to peer into the kitchen. The tiled floor was crowded with many feet, bustling this way and that as their owners prepared things for the morning and cleaned. Kid only hoped no one had to clean the floors or else they'd definitely be seen with the open fire from the stove a few feet away to illuminate them. Kid actually wished he was closer to the fire since his tunic was failing to keep him warm with all of the night air flowing into the secret passage from outside.

Tetra seemed to already be scheming ways to get in and out with food in hand. However, he knew that he wouldn't put anything in his mouth even if they somehow managed to get the food, so he nudged her side with his elbow to get her attention. Once she was looking he mouthed, "Come on," and motioned for her to move back from the grate with him. Tetra rolled her eyes in exasperation, like he predicted she would, and backed away from the grate. When they were far enough from the small grate they hit the steep steps that they'd used to reach the vent.

"You're not going to eat anything, are you?" Tetra asked in a tone that implied she already knew the answer.

"How did you know?" Kid whispered back as he climbed down. The steps were so steep they could classify as a ladder.

"Please, you're like a book. A children's book. Very easy to read," Tetra proclaimed, "Which is a problem."

He offered a meager shrug in response. Personally, he didn't view it as a problem. Until he'd met Tetra, he'd never known anyone that possessed the ability to hide their emotions so skillfully. Half the time he couldn't tell if she was content or bored. It wasn't too hard to figure out when she was mad or irritated. For some reason, she didn't have trouble expressing negative emotions. For Kid, they all came naturally. Usually none of them ruled over the others, but lately that hasn't been the case.

"Midna, if you're here, you might as well come out now," Tetra invited, peering into the shadows disapprovingly. Kid looked too but the darkness pressing in on all sides quickly made him claustrophobic, and he redirected his gaze to the glowing stone floating above his chest. A minute passed in which the only sounds were those floating down to them from the busy kitchen above.

"I don't think she's here," Kid commented, "If she was she would have come out."

Tetra kicked a pebble on the floor that he couldn't see and it clanked in the darkness, leaving behind a tiny echo in its wake. "Yeah…can you believe she slapped me?" Tetra huffed, turning to him.

"Well, you were a little out of line there…" Kid trailed off and dropped his gaze to the floor so he didn't have to watch his friend get angry at him for saying so.

"It's Link's own fault for touching me. I don't like to be touched," Tetra said bitterly, "Besides, Zelda's just…ugh. How do we possibly share a soul?" Kid remained silent, feeling that he wasn't there to answer, but to listen. He thought the pirate girl would continue on her tangent but she simply shook her head and began walking at a brisk pace.

Kid attempted to match her speed but ended up making himself dizzy in the process. Pushing through it, Kid continued to follow her. If he lost track of Tetra, he knew that he'd never get out of the secret passage. They had made so many turns that he had no idea where the room that they'd exchanged written messages in was, much less where they'd started from.

Without warning the room tilted, and Kid stumbled. He attempted to right himself but it was futile. He fell forward, expecting to hit the ground, and he did. After hitting five stairs first. Then he found himself on the floor, his palms stinging and pain lacing his left shoulder. He gritted his teeth to keep himself from crying out. Everything ached, but Kid didn't think that he broke anything. What concerned him was the floor. The blackness was chased away by a swinging blue light which blended with tiny pebbles to turn the ground into a swirling mess that made him nauseous.

"Kid, you klutz. Are you okay?" Tetra's voice startled him with how suddenly it sliced through the silence. He closed his eyes and shook his head a little, not trusting himself to speak.

"Is it really bad? Can you stand?" Tetra asked, sounding concerned this time. Kid allowed his eyes to open and this time the floor was still along with the light emitting from the rock around his neck. He swallowed the nausea, carefully lifting his head to see Tetra kneeling down beside him.

Kid adjusted himself so he was sitting and took a breath to calm himself. His heart was racing, and, as far as he understood, there was no reason for it. So he'd fell down a few stairs. It wasn't a big deal.

"Come on. You set the pace," Tetra ordered, pulling him to his feet, "We'll head to the room that I shared with the others last time we stayed here, and you can rest there for the night, okay?"

Kid agreed with the smallest of nods, and the two of them set off again at a much slower pace. Tetra warned him whenever there were steps in a joking manner that he would have registered as degrading at any other time, but currently regarded as courteous. After what felt like forever they finally made it out of the drafty passage and Tetra cut off communication between the stones so they hung lifelessly around their necks. Kid slipped his off and stowed it away while Tetra closed up the entrance to the hidden passage.

Despite his fatigue, he still didn't want to rest for fear of nightmares, but laying down couldn't hurt. Moving made him dizzy and his vision blurred with the sleep that decided to torment him every time he blinked. It was as if in the short millisecond it took to close his eyes and open them again, sleep was able to briefly grab him and left its mark behind when it found that it couldn't keep him.

Tetra finished sealing up the entrance and took his hand, alerting him to the fact that he'd been swaying a little on his feet. "It's a short walk," Tetra informed him, "but try to look a little less disoriented if you can. Just in case we run into someone." She let go of his hand and gestured for him to follow her. Fortunately for him, she set a relaxed pace that he could keep up with as he tried to keep the haze out of his eyes and ignore the headache that had suddenly sprung into his right temple.

She had claimed it was a short walk, but Kid was beginning to think she'd lied as they began to climb a second set of stairs. "How much farther?" Kid wanted to know, holding tight to the railing and imagining it was a rope he was using to aid his climb up the steps, going hand over hand.

Tetra, who was a couple stairs ahead, glanced back at him. "Straight through this hallway at the top of these stairs, then a left and another left, and we'll be in front of the door." It still sounded miles away, but Kid continued to climb, pushing every other thought out of his mind.

When they finally made it to the room, Tetra threw open the door and let him in first before following. She closed it in a civil manner behind her and they were plunged into darkness. No candles were lit and the room felt unbearably cold, causing him to shiver.

"Darn it," Tetra muttered, stumbling around in the dark and trying to find a match.

"Why's it so cold in here?" Kid wondered wrapping his arms around himself to conserve his body heat.

"Huh? It's not cold, you weirdo," Tetra said from somewhere within the blackness.

"A window must be open or something," Kid insisted.

"There's not," Tetra declared.

"How do you know?" Kid tested, not believing her.

"Because if there was we wouldn't be in pitch blackness. There'd be a little moonlight coming in and there's not," Tetra pointed out, "But that's actually a good idea. If I can find a window then I can open it and we'll have some light."

"Don't do that," Kid protested, "It's cold enough already."

"Look, if you're cold, grab a blanket off one of the beds," Tetra sighed as she delved within the darkness for any indications of a window.

"Where are the beds?" Kid asked.

"Somewhere in this room," Tetra replied smartly. Her tone transformed into a victorious one. "Aha! Here it is." Silvery light floated into the room from the far wall, outlining Tetra's form and a few other pieces of furniture. Kid gravitated towards one of the larger outlines, and was satisfied to find that it was a bed. He tugged off his boots and grabbed the nearest blanket, wrapping it around himself as he sat on the edge of the bed.

Two quick raps on the door made them both jump. Tetra motioned for him to lay down and he did, understanding what she was thinking. He then watched as she ran over to the door and opened it, candle light from the hallway flooding into the still dark room.

"What?" she demanded in an irritated voice.

"Is Kid with you?" Link's voice met Kid's ears, and he tried to slow his breathing so it would sound like he was sleeping.

"Yes. Why?" Tetra replied, lingering in the doorway so Link couldn't get inside.

"Because I have his sea chart and Aryll's telescope. He left them in Zelda's room," Link said. Kid had completely forgotten. Suddenly, he longed for his possessions, but he fought down the urge to hurry over there and grab them.

"Give them to him in the morning then. He's sleeping right now," Tetra announced in a hushed voice. Kid would have taken that as his cue to close his eyes if it wasn't already so dark. There was no way Link was able to discern where he was in the room, much less whether his eyes were shut or not.

"Really?" Link wondered with curiosity so obviously fake it made Kid rethink, "Because as far as I know, Kid doesn't sleep with his eyes open."

"Wha-no. That's ridiculous. Why would he be sleeping with his eyes open?" Tetra replied, a slight fluctuation in her voice providing Kid with a hint to close his eyes. Letting them slide shut wasn't that hard, but staying awake was. He didn't actually want to drop off to sleep. Kid tried to concentrate on the conversation to keep himself conscious.

"What game are you guys playing?" Link asked, skeptical. Kid had a feeling that his counterpart was including him in that question.

"There's no game," Tetra huffed in impatience, "Look, if you just came by to nag us then-"

"I didn't come by to nag you," Link interrupted her, "I was just going to return these and leave you guys be, but you're both acting weird, and I want to know why."

"I'm not acting weird. You are! And Kid can't act any way because he's  _sleeping_ ," Tetra informed him, putting extra emphasis on the last word as if it would help get the lie to stick in Link's head.

"No he's not. I can see him from here. When I came in here his eyes were open and he closed them just a few seconds ago," Link announced.

"How can you see in the dark?" Tetra challenged him.

"The wolf thing, remember?" Link reminded her, "I have heightened senses because of it so I can see better in the dark than either of you can." Kid used that as his excuse to open his eyes and sat up, making sure the blanket stayed around him. He did recall Link saying that before, but he hadn't believed it much since his counterpart had never given him solid proof to back up the claim. Now there was no denying that Link had some form of night vision.

"What's really going on?" Link wanted to know, easily pushing past Tetra into the room despite her protests for him to stop and get out.

"Nothing," Tetra and Kid answered simultaneously. It was too short of a response and came far too quickly to classify as anything other than suspicious.

"Seriously, what's the problem? I would try to get Zelda to leave tonight, but there has to be some compromise. We're already pushing it with tomorrow morning as it is," Link informed them. Kid was about to argue that that wasn't it, but Tetra beat him to it.

"Well, you should try to persuade her to leave tonight. There's no way either of us is going to get any sleep. We're so close," Tetra said, closing the door and plunging the room into almost total darkness.

"I know, but I don't think anything I can say will convince her to leave earlier," Link confided, "She doesn't like to be unprepared for things. It drives her crazy."

"She's driving  _me_  crazy," Tetra commented, wandering over to the open window.

"Tetra, close it," Kid requested. He'd told her not to open it before, and having light wasn't worth freezing.

"Close what? The window? It's not even open. I just pulled back the curtains," Tetra responded, her tone cross. Kid didn't believe her but stayed quiet, knowing that she'd start yelling at him and irritate his head if he complained about it any further.

"Here, Kid," Link's voice distracted him and he turned towards it. Too fast. His eyes had adjusted to the dark a little so he could see vague outlines but even those were wavering and blurry. He didn't dare move to rub his eyes, afraid that he would lose his balance if he did. Instead, he tried to blink it away. If anything, his already limited vision became worse.

Despite that, Kid knew he had to reach out to take the things being offered to him. Otherwise, Link would know something was wrong, and as much as he'd like to believe that Tetra was incorrect about their having to stay longer if he was sick, he knew that was exactly what would happen.

Warm orange and yellow light suddenly lit up the surrounding area. "Sorry. I forgot you couldn't see me," Link apologized, holding up his now lit lantern. Kid couldn't believe his luck. Link thought he hadn't taken his things yet because he couldn't see. That excuse wouldn't hold up much longer. The light helped Kid distinguish what was what, so the dizzy spell began to fade into an ache in his head which he preferred because it wasn't noticeable to anyone else.

He was still careful in taking his sister's telescope and the rolled up sea chart from Link, but he hoped that his caution wasn't as obvious as he felt it was. Kid set his sister's telescope down beside him and began to put away his sea chart.

"What was up with the window?" Link wondered. Kid was still fumbling with the clasp to close the pouch he'd stowed away his sea chart in, so he didn't comprehend his counterpart's question at first. What window? Why was that important?

"Forget the window," Tetra cut in, leaning over the arched footboard of the bed, "He's tired and doesn't know what he's saying."

Then he remembered. It was cold. It was, but it isn't anymore. Now it was hot. Kid let the blanket encompassing his shoulders fall off and resisted the urge to kick it away. Even though it was no longer on him, it still felt far too close.

Fi startled them all with her sudden appearance. "Master, I am detecting irrational fluctuations in my other Master's emotional state." Fi then turned to Kid, "Will you allow me to do a full evaluation?"

"Uh…I guess?" Kid replied, looking up at her blearily in confusion. His brain was far too muddled to decipher anything Fi had to say.

"Fi, what are you talking about?" Link inquired, just as puzzled as he was.

"My smaller Master currently possesses irregularities for a normal human. However, I cannot distinguish the cause unless I am in his possession," Fi explained.

"Irregularities…" Link trailed off in thought, "You mean…like temperature? He's sick?"

"There is a 96% probability that he is ill," Fi reported.

"What do you know? You're not even human. How can you tell what he's feeling?" Tetra asked, trying to prove Fi false. Fi either didn't hear her or didn't feel it was worth responding to for she said nothing else.

"Let me guess: You two were trying to hide it," Link speculated.

"So what if we were?" Tetra snapped in a haughty tone.

"So what?! It's dangerous!" Link exclaimed, "What were you two thinking trying to keep it a secret?"

"We were thinking we wanted to go home tomorrow," Tetra informed him, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

"Yeah, but you want to go there alive, right? Geez…" Link sighed, putting a hand to Kid's forehead.

"We do, but it's not like he's going to die or anything. You're so over dramatic. It's just because he hasn't been eating," Tetra waved off Link's concern.

"No, it's not," Link objected, removing his hand. "Not eating for a couple days won't give him a fever so quickly. It's something else."

"What is it then?" Kid wanted to know, putting a hand to his own head, unable to tell if it was hot or not.

"I don't know," Link admitted, "but we're going to figure it out. Fi, can you do that evaluation thing you were asking permission to do before?"

"The only means of performing the evaluation is if the sword is in his possession," Fi stated. Link unsheathed the Master Sword and laid it on the bed in front of Kid. Reaching out to grab the hilt, Kid felt a cool pulse beneath his fingertips as his hand wrapped around it. His eyes were on Fi who hovered off to the side in silence, calculations and information running through her head in mere seconds.

"I have detected a raised body temperature of one hundred three degrees Fahrenheit which is four point four degrees higher than normal. There are three possible causes for this. Malnutrition and dehydration are the least likely sources of illness, but they are severe enough to have the capability of being contributing factors. The most likely cause is an infection in the upper arm," Fi announced. Kid glanced at his left arm wondering how in the world he'd managed to get an infection. Link had used a fairy to heal him, so there shouldn't have been any reason for concern. Fairies had always worked before, so why hadn't this one?

"Let me see your arm," Link ordered, setting the lantern down on the bedside table. Kid took his hand off of the sword and held out his left arm wordlessly, watching wearily as his counterpart rolled up his sleeve to expose the cut that Ghirahim's sword had made. Thanks to the fairy's healing magic, it wasn't deep, but it was long, spanning the entire width of his upper arm. Redness surrounded the wound with streaks of scarlet spreading out from it like blood had dried onto his skin and faded into it. However, he didn't see any blood.

"Does it hurt?" Link asked him.

"Sometimes," Kid answered.

"You can feel it though right? It's not numb or anything?" Link checked.

"No, I can feel it," Kid replied.

"Okay, both of you stay here. I'm going to go ask Zelda what to do. She knows more about healing than I do," Link said, reclaiming the Master Sword and slipping it into its sheath.

"You don't know how to cure him?" Tetra wondered, almost sounding like she was gloating. Kid couldn't fathom why. It wasn't like she knew any more than Link did.

"No. Healing isn't really my forte. I know basic first aid but infections are beyond me. I've never had to deal with one before," Link confessed. He then left the room, and the two of them were alone. Tetra didn't try to engage him in conversation, probably guilty about being wrong with her identification of the origins of his illness. Kid didn't blame her for his condition because he knew it was partially, if not all, his fault. The cut probably would have healed itself just fine if he'd been eating, drinking, and sleeping like normal.

Kid wasn't aware of nodding off while sitting there but he must have at some point because suddenly he was opening his eyes, and both Link and the princess were there. The room was well lit compared to earlier. A fire was crackling in the fireplace somewhere in the room and the walls were illuminated by multiple sconces.

"Drink this, okay?" Princess Zelda instructed as she pressed a cup into his right hand. She waited until his fingers closed around it before letting go. He had no idea what it was but guessed it was medicine and brought it to his lips. As soon as it entered his mouth he knew exactly what it was. Water. Kid had no idea how water was supposed to help him, but he didn't complain. Before now, he hadn't realized how thirsty he was. As much as he wanted to gulp it down, he didn't. Kid concentrated on taking small sips. He was so absorbed in doing so that he didn't realize the princess was examining his infected shoulder until unexpected pain blurred his vision and he gasped, instinctively jerking his arm away from Princess Zelda. Coughing now from the water that had been in the process of sliding down his throat when the sudden pain had come, Kid was only vaguely aware of Link taking the cup out of his hand, so he wouldn't spill its remaining contents.

The coughing fit stopped quickly but his shoulder continued to throb with pain that had only just begun to fade.

"Maybe that wasn't smart to have him drinking when you're doing that," Link observed.

"Maybe not," the princess agreed, "We'll do this first then." She tried to take his arm again, but Kid shied away from her touch in distrust. He could still feel the pain from last time, and it was bringing back his nausea from earlier.

"It's just spring water from one of the spirit springs," Zelda informed him. Now he really didn't want her to continue. The spring water might contain healing properties but it came with a price. It hurt just like when the wound was inflicted and, if he wasn't sick, he would be able to power through it.

"You say that like it's supposed to be comforting," Tetra rolled her eyes, "He definitely won't let you touch him with it now." At least Tetra understood.

"I have to do it sometime. Might as well get it over with," Princess Zelda pointed out. Kid shook his head furiously. The motion made him dizzy, but he didn't care. She wasn't getting his consent for this.

"Finish this first," Link said, holding the cup of water out to him. Kid accepted it gratefully, keeping a watchful eye on the princess to make sure she didn't pull anything. She was perched on the edge of the bed with a cloth drenched in spring water in one hand. Kid quickly finished the water and let Link take the cup away, dreading what had to come next.

"Will you allow me to help you now?" Princess Zelda requested. Kid couldn't say no but he didn't want to say yes either.

"Be gentle," Kid muttered before offering his arm to the princess and looking the other way. The pain would catch him off guard whether he was watching or not. This time when it hit him, it came at full force and he couldn't help but flinch away. He immediately became convinced that Princess Zelda didn't grasp the concept of being gentle. The princess wouldn't let him retract his arm though, and so he was stuck there with tears pricking his eyes like miniature needles as fire consumed every nerve in his shoulder and spread down his arm. Zelda whispered apologies the entire time but he barely heard them. To him, they meant virtually nothing. She might have been sorry, but she obviously wasn't feeling sorry enough for him to give him a break.

Once she was finished with the injury itself, she rubbed the spring water on the rest of his arm, targeting the streaks of crimson. This didn't hurt as much but it did sting enough for him to notice through the fresh pain radiating from nerves that were already mended, courtesy of the fairy.

As soon as she released him, Kid curled up on the bed and moaned, wishing to be as small as possible so all of his ailments would be forced to shrink in size with him. It didn't really help the pain in his arm, but it did alleviate the ache in his head a little.

"All I have to do is wrap it and you're done. That shouldn't hurt," the princess announced. Kid didn't respond because knowing his luck it would hurt. He decided to let her do it and slowly sat up again. It took under a minute for Princess Zelda to wrap it and then he was able to pull his sleeve down.

"Is that it?" Link wondered.

"Well, he isn't cured yet," Princess Zelda replied, "but the water should completely eradicate the infection in a few hours and the fever should go away on its own as long as he rests."

"And about tomorrow morning?" Tetra wanted to know, "We're still going right?"

"Possibly," the princess said. Kid had a feeling she meant no and sensed that Tetra thought so too, for she let out an irritated sigh.

"I still don't understand something," Link interjected, addressing the princess, "When he got that wound I had a fairy heal him, so why didn't it work?"

"That I don't know," Princess Zelda confided, "It could have been because you'd used a fairy on him earlier. It's possible that some of the healing magic from the first fairy interfered with the second's, and that's why it couldn't heal the injury fully. Or it was trying to fix too much at once. If he was tired at that point, then it was probably taking his fatigue as something that needed to be cured and distributed its healing so half of it went to giving him more energy instead of all of it going into mending the wound."

If that was true, Kid thought it was stupid. He'd used two fairies in one day before and never had a problem. He was too tired to voice this piece of information and laid down, content that his arm had stopped hurting so much. At least this way they could search for the others when they got to the Great Sea instead of having to take time for him to get better.

If the conversation continued after that, Kid heard none of it. Sleep was too enticing to ignore this time, and as soon as he closed his eyes it was able to claim him. Describing the night as fitful was a huge understatement. He woke up constantly, whether it was because he was too hot, too cold, or a bizarre dream had transformed into a nightmare and scared him awake. He didn't sleep well at all. There was no one to complain to either. Tetra was the only other person in the room, and to say she didn't care might be a little on the harsh side, but she certainly wouldn't be happy if he woke her up.

Instead he suffered in silence, oftentimes lying awake for twenty minutes to an hour before he was able to drop off to sleep again. When he did, the pattern started all over again and the worst part was that, even when he opened his eyes and saw sunlight streaming in through the open curtains, he couldn't get up. Anytime he tried, his head spun, and he knew that he'd fall or possibly faint if he attempted to stand. He was still tired anyway.

The day consisted of broken pieces of consciousness that resembled dreams. Some he remembered, and some he didn't. Kid thought that the longest he remained awake was the hour that he, Link, and Tetra were arguing about food. He insisted he wasn't hungry and they kept insisting he had to eat. Finally they had compromised with a few apple slices. It seemed like every time he woke up Link was having Fi check his temperature and giving him more water to drink even when he stopped wanting it. Sometimes he'd awake to Zelda checking his arm, other times it was Link comforting him from a bad dream he could barely remember but was terrified of nonetheless.

He was surprised to find when he awoke again that it was night, and Tetra was sleeping in the next bed over. The room was silent, save for the occasional pops coming from the fireplace. Kid sat up a little, elated when there was no dizzy spell to greet him. Reaching over to the bedside table, Kid gripped the handle of the Master Sword that was leaning against the piece of furniture.

Fi appeared immediately and answered his unspoken question without any hesitance. She'd understood what information they wanted from her after repeating the question a few times earlier. "Your body temperature is now in normal range, Master. However, I would recommend continuing to rest until morning." He whispered his thanks to Fi and removed his hand from the hilt. Finally.

When the morning did arrive, he awoke around the same time as Tetra. Despite the nightmares he'd been forced to endure last night, he was in high spirits, and Tetra noticed.

"You don't have a fever anymore, do you?" his best friend guessed, smirking as she realized what that meant for them.

"According to Fi I don't," he replied, throwing off the covers and getting out of bed. Tetra watched him stand and smiled in approval when he didn't fall.

"Awesome. Let's grab the others and get out of here," Tetra proposed, stretching her arms above her head as she stood. Before either of them could move towards the door, it opened and Link stepped inside.

"You're cured?" Link wondered when he noticed Kid standing firmly on his own two feet. Kid nodded happily in response.

"That means we can leave, right?" Tetra asked, coming to stand beside Kid.

"Yeah. Zelda's ready, and so am I," Link declared after reclaiming the Master Sword, "Make sure you guys have everything."

Kid grabbed his sister's telescope and stuffed it in with the rest of his things. Then he set to the task of putting his boots on.

"Do you want to eat anything before we go?" Link asked him, "Just because you don't have a fever anymore doesn't mean you're automatically back to perfect health."

"I know, but I feel a lot better than yesterday," Kid insisted. It was true, after all. His headache was gone and so were the dizzy spells. He was still tired, but he had a feeling that that was going to persist until he found his sister and friends and confirmed they were alright.

"Still, don't push yourself," Link cautioned him.

"I won't," Kid said, knowing that he definitely would if the need arose.

"Quit hovering over him, Link. Live and learn as they say," Tetra advised, hands on hips.

"Yeah well, that's not the best saying to live by," Link replied as they all walked towards the exit.

"Oh, so I guess you won't approve of living by the saying, 'Rules are merely suggestions,' Tetra observed.

"Definitely not. Who came up with that one?" Link wanted to know.

"I did," Tetra informed him proudly.

"Of course you did," Link said in a tone that suggested he wasn't at all surprised.

It was then that Kid realized the lack of weight on his back and recalled that his sword and shield were still in the room he'd shared with Link. The three of them made a trip to retrieve Kid's weapons before heading for Princess Zelda's bedchambers.

When they arrived at her bedroom, they were let in with little to no fuss. The princess excused herself for a few minutes while she got changed into something more appropriate for the Great Sea that Tetra had helped her select yesterday.

"You're not going to change into something else?" Kid asked Link while they waited for Princess Zelda.

"No. I'm basically wearing the same thing you are so it shouldn't be that out of place, right?" Link responded, motioning to both of their outfits. Kid nodded. It wouldn't be out of place but it would definitely be too warm. At times his own outfit became too sweltering and he had to change into something cooler. Link wouldn't last very long with that chainmail.

Seeming to read his thoughts, Tetra spoke up, "Don't start complaining about being hot when you start regretting your decision later."

"I won't regret anything," Link assured her.

"We'll see about that," Tetra said, eyeing his outfit smugly.

"Is everyone ready to depart?" Princess Zelda interrupted their conversation. When Kid looked the first thing he noticed was how non-regal she looked. It was amazing what a simple change of clothes could do. The crown she normally wore upon her brow was absent, along with her golden armor, gloves, and fancy dress. Instead her hair was pulled back into a low braid and the hair that hung in front of her shoulders was unrestricted by the lack of decorative string. Her long, flowy dress was a light violet, with short slightly puffed sleeves and a square neckline. Short, light brown boots adorned her feet and a brown satchel hung from her right shoulder.

"So did I do a good job or what?" Tetra wanted to know, looking to Kid for his opinion.

"Yup," Kid nodded. "It's still a little fancier than normal though."

"Yeah, well, if Zelda wasn't a princess that lives her life in the castle, maybe I'd have more to work with," Tetra replied wistfully.

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Link wondered.

"My sword is in here with some other supplies since Tetra claimed it would be strange for me to be carrying a weapon," Princess Zelda explained.

"But, Tetra, you're a girl and you're carrying a weapon," Link pointed out.

"I'm also a pirate," Tetra reminded him, "In which case, me having a weapon is frowned upon but expected. The only way for Zelda to carry a weapon openly would be to pretend she was a pirate, but she already shot me down on that idea so secret enchanted bag it is."

"Whatever works, I guess," Link shrugged, "Are we going now?" Kid nodded eagerly along with Tetra and the four of them gathered into a tight circle, far from any furniture in the room.

"Any last minute tips?" Princess Zelda wondered, glancing between him and Tetra for their input.

"What do you mean tips?" Tetra queried, confused.

"Well, you've done this once before," Zelda said as she produced the Goddess Harp from her bag.

"Live and learn, or did you not say that earlier, Tetra?" Link commented.

"I know what I said earlier, thank you very much," Tetra scoffed. "Let's see, it was really bright and we'll probably pass out like we did last time so I'd just close your eyes and keep them closed when the song's over."

"It might not be a bad idea to hold onto each other either," Kid added, "We have a better chance of staying together that way."

"Should I stay in the shadows then or what?" Midna asked, slipping out of Link's shadow without warning.

"You're coming with?" Tetra wondered.

"Of course! I've got a bone to pick with that Ghirahim. He's the reason why I look like this, or have you forgotten?" Midna exclaimed, gesturing to herself. Kid wasn't willing to admit to her that he had forgotten about her being cursed. "Besides, I want to see your world too."

"Our shadows move with us so you should be fine," Tetra theorized. Midna nodded and disappeared.

"Ready?" Princess Zelda inquired, raising the harp into position.

"I've been ready ever since we found out how to go home! Let's not waste any more time," Tetra declared, grabbing Kid's hand in hers and putting her other hand on the princess's shoulder. Kid slid his hand into Link's and nodded.

"This better work," Link said, completing the circle by laying a hand on the princess's remaining shoulder. With them all connected, the princess began to play Zelda's Lullaby. The light, airy sound of the lyre made the already calm song even more relaxing, and it was for this reason that Kid didn't allow himself to shut his eyes until the song ceased. As the last note vibrated in the air, he allowed his eyes to close. Not a second later Kid could see white light through his closed eyelids, and he bowed his head, squeezing both hands he was holding tighter to make sure he didn't lose them. Kid felt them squeeze back. Then his vision was painted black with no dreams, and no nightmares. It was simply nothing. He determined it to be a unique form of nothing. It was a form where he only had one sense to go by and that was touch. Suddenly Kid found himself clutching at empty air. Attempting to force his eyes open proved that he no longer had the ability to do so. Before he could react, his consciousness blended into the nothingness, and the only thing he knew was nothing.


	6. Home Sweet Home

As her consciousness crawled back like a wounded animal, she tried to determine where she was. The sound that entered her ears was warped and distant. A methodic whooshing sound was present, accompanied by a consistent cry that she could only determine to be some kind of clipped, whining laughter.  _Ah. Ah. Ah._ It wasn't human, that much she knew, but if it wasn't human, what did that leave?

Then something in her brain clicked into place, providing her with a single word. Seagulls. She was hearing gulls which could only mean one thing. Elation replaced every other thought in her mind, and suddenly she couldn't get her eyes open fast enough.

Her vision was blurry at first, but that didn't stop her from taking in the sight of gentle waves tasting the shore before retreating and being replaced by new ones. She breathed in through her nose and her nostrils were instantly flooded with the tang of salt. That confirmed it. The water belonged to an ocean. More importantly, it was an ocean she knew.

Tetra reached out and grasped a handful of sand as if she could determine exactly what beach it originated from just by touching it. She let the fine white grains of sand leak from between her fingers, happy that it wasn't dirt or grass. She'd probably never been so pleased to see sand before in her life.

An uncomfortable jab in her side alerted her to the fact that she was laying on top of something, and it wasn't the soft sand in her grasp. Tetra hastily righted herself, opening her closed fist to allow all of the sand to escape. Her new position revealed what had been digging into her side as she'd laid there unconsciousness for who knows how long.

A bronze tile was embedded in the grainy sand. By the looks of it, it had seen better days. The edges that she could see were uneven and cracked, as if it had broken off of a larger piece. Curious, Tetra scraped away some of the sand holding it in place with her hands so she could get a firm grip on one of the uneven sides. It was heavier than she expected, but with some determination, Tetra managed to flip it over. She brushed away the sand marring its surface to find indentations. At first she thought it was damaged, but once she had the entire tile clear of the majority of the clinging sand, her eyes followed the elegant lines that were too neat and precise to be accidental.

And they were intentional. She knew that because she'd  _seen_  this before. Somewhere at one point in time, she'd witnessed many of the unusual tiles clean and unbroken. They used to make up a floor.

Leaving the tile where it was, Tetra stood and assessed her surroundings. She was in a small shaded cove constructed naturally by the cliff side above. Something was wrong with it though. Towards the back, the curved rock was broken and chipped, leaving a good sized hole in the cliff. Despite that, it didn't seem to be endangering anything. Tetra touched the mess of rock, checking it for stability. Besides the stray rock she knocked loose by touching the area and some grey powder that dusted her fingers when she pulled her hand away, nothing seemed to be threatening to collapse anytime soon.

That didn't explain what had happened here. All she was left with was the carnage which, in itself, wasn't much. A hole in the side of the cliff and a broken tile. Could it be Ghirahim's doing? Tetra shook her head to discard the thought. It couldn't have been. What did he gain from destroying a hidden passage? Nothing, that's what.

She had more important things to be worrying about at the moment than Ghirahim's recent activity. For one, where was everyone else? She vaguely remembered what had transpired after her counterpart had played Zelda's Lullaby on the sacred instrument. Tetra knew that she'd been holding onto the others, a mix of excitement and nerves in her stomach, when she felt the sudden absence of the princess beside her and squeezed Kid's hand tighter. She must have squeezed too hard though, because the next thing she knew, he was gone as well, and she was alone.

She assumed the same had happened to everyone else. If not, it was very unfortunate for them because she was their source of transportation. Becoming fearful that her crew had left in some foolish panic, Tetra turned towards the ocean to confirm that she wasn't stranded on Windfall Island.

Looking out to sea, Tetra could discern a ship's large hull a respectable distance from the shore. Her ship. It had to be. And if it was still anchored here, that meant her crew was exactly where she'd left them. Maybe it hadn't been as long as she thought. Maybe they'd only been gone for a few minutes. Unfortunately, all rational parts of her, said otherwise which meant that her crew must have got into some kind of trouble while she was away.

Wary of what she'd find, Tetra trudged out of the cove, keeping her eyes open for any sign of the other Triforce bearers. It was possible they were all scattered around the island. In fact, she hoped that was the case. Without the protection of the shade, Tetra could feel exactly how uncomfortable the weather was. The sky was a bright blue dotted with fluffy white clouds, and the blinding sun was nothing but a nuisance as it hung suspended in the center of the sky.

"How long was I asleep?" Tetra muttered to herself, shielding her eyes with her hand as she peered up at the sky to confirm that she hadn't misjudged the trajectory of the sun. She dropped her gaze to wander along the beach and grassy expanse of the island. Not many people were walking around, and with the afternoon so humid Tetra could understand why. It was hot and sticky, but Tetra embraced it for its familiarity. She'd worked worse days in the sun, and this was obviously one of the season's irrational heat waves that not even the most skilled sailor could predict.

Deciding to make sure her crew was on board the ship was first and foremost on her list of priorities, so she made her way up the hill to where the grave was and jumped down onto the upper deck of ship, mindful of the catapult. Once there she sprinted to the door that led below decks, ready to fling it open. Grabbing the worn handle, she pulled. Locked.

Tetra knocked on the wooden door, hoping it was loud enough for her crew to hear. Some of their games could get rowdy. She didn't have to wait long until she heard a voice that was slightly muffled due to the door. "What's the password?" it asked.

At least they had the decency to set up a password that didn't involve a vacuous riddle when she wasn't around. Without having to ask for identification, Tetra said simply, "Niko, it's me. Open up."

There was a loud thud on the other side of the door. When Niko spoke again, his voice trembled, "M-Miss? No way. You're…you're…"

"I'm what?" Tetra urged him to continue.

"A…a ghost!" Niko exclaimed.

"Huh?! No, I'm not!" Tetra argued, whatever patience she might have possessed before gone now that Niko was acting ridiculous as usual, "Open the door!"

"That's exactly what a ghost would say!" Niko refuted fearfully.

"No, a ghost would walk  _through_  the door, you moron! Now do as I say or you'll be a ghost!" Tetra threatened. This seemed to convince Niko, or at least redirect his fear, for she heard a click as the lock disengaged and the door was cautiously inched open, so Niko could peer around it.

Tetra rolled her eyes at his cowardice and yanked the door open all the way.

"What's the matter with you?" Tetra demanded, placing her hand on her hip. Niko didn't respond. Instead, he regarded her with suspicion and tentatively reached out to poke her arm. She slapped his hand away.

"Quit it! I'm real!" Tetra proclaimed, "Why do you think I'm not?"

"Because you didn't come back, and then they went out, and I told them not to, but they never listen to me, and then there was the bar and the grave and the bombs and-" Niko rambled nervously.

"Stop," Tetra held up a hand. She couldn't get any information out of him when he was so worked up. She'd have better luck with one of her other crew members. "Where are the others?"

"In town. I think they went to the Cafe Bar," Niko said, beginning to reign in control enough to sound dejected at the fact that he hadn't been allowed to tag along on the excursion.

"Fine. Stay here," Tetra sighed, whirling around on her heel to go.

"Wait! Where were you? Where is Link and his sister and the sages?" Niko wondered, following her as she hurried across the deck and grabbed the rope ladder that someone had neglected to put away.

"It's a long story. I'll fill you in later. For now, hold this steady, so I can get off." Tetra responded, draping the flimsy ladder over the side of the ship and moving aside so Niko could get his hands on it. Once he was holding it in place, she hopped the railing and began to climb down with expertise that only came to those with years of experience.

"Should I stay inside or what?" Niko called down to her.

"Don't care," Tetra declared as she released her hold on the ladder and landed knee deep in the lukewarm water below, courtesy of a rock jutting out from the shore.

She passed through the humble cove and in no time at all was marching through the heat and towards the other side of the island where the Cafe Bar was located. Glancing at the dock, she was content to see a few sailors tending to their ships. At least that was normal. Overall, she didn't notice anything too strange. It was hot, so that was obviously keeping most citizens indoors and, other than Niko's weird behavior and the eerie familiarity of the tile accompanying the damaged cliffside, nothing seemed to be different than usual.

Traveling under the stone gateway that was Windfall's claim to fame, though Tetra didn't understand why a gateway stripped of its gate was so popular, she swept her eyes over the area in hopes that the rest of her crew weren't really where Niko had thought. Before leaving, she'd told them to stay on the ship, but she'd really meant for them to stay away from the bar. There was no doubt in her mind, or theirs, about what she meant, so why did they feel so inclined to disobey?

She stomped past the Chu Jelly Juice Shop, the Auction House, and the Windfall Island Shop where she exchanged a glare with Mila when the insolent girl uttered a rude comment about her lack of an entourage. Tetra was short-tempered as it was, and it seemed that the formerly wealthy could never keep their snide comments to themselves when she was around. Sometimes she was tempted to shove her heritage in Mila's face just to see her reaction. However, she knew that it wouldn't get her anywhere. She could already imagine Mila laughing in her face and accusing her of lying to make herself seem more important than she really was. Which was, truthfully, fine with Tetra. The less snarky people in her new kingdom, the better.

Taking the stairs up to the café two at a time, Tetra almost bumped into a customer as they were exiting the building. She pushed past the person and grabbed the closing door without a single utterance of apology. Once inside, she found it noticeably cooler than outdoors and quickly ascended the steps. Gillian was behind the bar counter, appearing just as disinterested in the antics of her customers as she had since Tetra had first met the woman, and barely looked up as the pirate girl entered. In a span of no more than five seconds, that changed.

A raucous shouting startled her. The source just so happened to be the other five members of her crew who had set eyes on her as soon as she'd made it to the landing of the stairs. Unlike Niko, none of them hesitated in rushing towards her. Even if some of them fell over each other, an overturned stool, or the occasional table, it didn't do so much as slow them down.

Tetra couldn't get past the counter before she was crushed into a semi-hug semi-tackle by her fellow pirates. Some of them were crying, some laughing like maniacs, but all of them were yelling. The combination of their drunken voices, for it was fairly safe to say at this point that they were all impaired by rum or some other type of alcoholic beverage, drowned out Tetra's curt orders for them to settle down.

What had most likely been a despair ridden drinking fest, transformed into a drunken celebration, and Tetra found herself ensnared in the middle of it. One of the larger men, she couldn't discern who amidst all the confusion, picked her up and sat her on his shoulder, much to her chagrin. There weren't many people in the bar, but those that were taking shelter from the heat had no problem about staring. Forget being rude, this was a show that the customers were most likely enjoying. They weren't unknown on the island. Many people knew of them and those that didn't had most certainly heard rumors of a young pirate girl and the crew of full grown men she commanded. If she couldn't control her own crew then what type of captain was she?

"OI!" Tetra screamed, "PUT ME DOWN! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

Still no response other than their incoherent babbling. Idiots. She was working with idiots. There was a reason why she never let them come here alone and this was precisely it. If she wasn't here to monitor them, they would drink themselves to infinity. They were going to have nasty hangovers in the morning, but that wasn't going to gain them any sympathy from her. She'd make them work. Of course, she couldn't force them to toil in the sun right now. They were a hazard to themselves. Among other things.

She knew that threatening them wouldn't have any effect so, with a small bout of struggling on her part, Tetra managed to slip off of Gonzo's shoulder and onto the floor. Once there, she pushed through the sweaty bodies that were holding her captive to their overwhelming display of euphoria and began to descend the steps.

"Come on you lot! Get a move on!" Tetra shouted over her shoulder to get their attention. Then, just to see what reaction she'd receive, she added, "Start behaving or I'm docking all of your pay by fifty percent!" Some of them must have been aware enough to comprehend her words, for she immediately gained followers and soon she had them all stumbling after her out of the Cafe Bar and into the humid afternoon for one reason or another.

Now to get them on the ship. Seeing as there was only one of her and five of them, this wasn't going to be easy. Sweeping her eyes over them, she picked out Zuko who seemed to be the most sound of mind out of the entire group.

"Help me get everyone else on the ship. Think you can manage that?" Tetra asked as she pulled him a few steps away from the others.

"Aye, Princess Zelda," Zuko replied, his speech slur free and as respectful as ever which gave her the impression that he wasn't drunk. What a gift that would be if it were true. At the moment, she was too fed up with the others to be irritated by Zuko's first choice of addressing her, so she let it slide and motioned for him to get on the other side of the group of drunken sailors.

Even with two of them working at it diligently, it took at least twenty minutes to get everyone else on the ship and below decks where they could sleep off whatever they consumed. Now it was just her, Niko, and Zuko above decks with the seagulls flying around the ship and the sun beating down its rays to ensure they couldn't be cooled by the ocean breeze that was present.

Leaning back against the railing, Tetra shook loose strands of her blonde hair impatiently out of her face. It was hard enough running a ship properly with six men sober, and now she was expected to do it with only two.

"What has been going on here?" Tetra wanted to know, looking to Zuko for an explanation, "I distinctly remember giving you all the order to stay on the ship."

"Right, but you never returned, and when we attempted to find you, we couldn't," Zuko informed her. Then after a small hesitation he added, "Where were you?"

"Never mind where I was," Tetra dismissed his question with a wave of her hand, "I want to know what you guys were doing here, besides drinking. Did you stop looking for us?"

"Of course not, but after the one accident we didn't think we'd ever see any of you again," Zuko admitted.

"What accident are you talking about?" Tetra wondered, skeptical.

"Don't tell her. She'll be mad," Niko advised Zuko, grabbing his arm as if he could pull his shipmate out of the conversation. Zuko shook the fearful swabbie off and chose to answer anyway.

"Some of us went below the grave to search, but at one point the candle blew out and someone accidentally lit a bomb instead of another candle. The mistake was realized a couple seconds later which threw everyone into a panic. Long story short, the bomb ended up being chucked deeper into the tunnel while we high tailed it out of there," Zuko explained as Tetra gaped at him in disbelief. However dimwitted Zuko's story was, she had to admit that it did provide a plausible explanation for Niko's believing she was a ghost and the broken tile she'd awoken on as well as the damaged cliffside.

"Why did you guys even have a bomb in the first place?" Tetra questioned. She could only yell at them for being idiotic so many times before it didn't have any effect.

"We were thinking that we might have to use it if you guys were stuck in a cave-in that we couldn't dig you out of," Zuko answered. That was ironic since they probably caused some sort of cave-in with that bomb of theirs. As far as she could deduce by Zuko's tale, the resulting explosion demolished the entire room at the end of the cave. Normally, this wouldn't concern her very much. It had been an old room and nothing was in it aside from a song on a wall. But the floor. There was something special about the floor. Engraved for eternity in the bronze tiles, were letters that, when the floor had been unbroken, formed words in Hylian. It wasn't their Hylian, though. It wasn't even Ancient Hylian. It was the written Hylian used in a world alternate to theirs where Hyrule still existed.

"Afterwards, did you guys see any bronze tiles with weird-looking inscriptions on them?" Tetra inquired. Zuko nodded but didn't offer any further information so she gestured for him to elaborate.

"It was just debris. We let the ocean take away most of it," Zuko said, his eyes looking anywhere but her face as if he expected her to start yelling at any second about how stupid they were.

"Most of it?" Tetra wondered, straightening her slouched posture.

"We grabbed a piece because it looked like it could be valuable," he responded, "Is it?"

"Let's find out," Tetra declared, pushing off of the railing and strolling towards the door that led below decks. "Where'd you put it? In the treasury?"

"Aye," Zuko confirmed as Tetra flung open the door and progressed inside. She continued straight to her cabin where she had the two pirates linger outside the door while she attempted to find the key hidden in her dresser. It wasn't in the drawer she usually kept it in, nor was it in the next. Slamming the last drawer closed, she searched the top of the dresser where her mother's jewelry overflowed from a half-shut jewelry box and bottles of perfume, also her mother's, stood gathering dust.

When the key still didn't present itself, she proceeded to check her desk, bed, and the couch cushions. Still nothing. Stomping out of her room, she demanded to know who had taken the key.

"Wasn't me," Niko answered immediately, as if that detracted any of the blame from him. Zuko gave the inquiry a bit more thought, and told her that he believed the culprit was Nudge. As annoyed as she was that he had entered her room and rummaged through her stuff without her permission, Tetra couldn't do so much as reprimand him for it since he wasn't here. Instead, she hurried down the stairs with Niko and Zuko in tow, turning left at the landing to descend another set of steps that creaked underfoot. However, the creaking of the vessel couldn't mask the sounds of banging.

When Tetra entered the next room, she traced the sound directly to the closed hatch of the treasury which was concealed by a large, square blue rug. Tetra rolled back the fabric and kneeled down, rapping the square hatch twice with her knuckles. The banging stopped after that, and Tetra assumed whoever was down there was waiting to hear more before returning the knock.

"Hoy there," Tetra smirked, "With whom do I owe the honor of speaking?"

"Me," said a voice that she could classify as Kid's.

"What are you doing in there, swabbie?" Niko wondered.

"That's what I'm still trying to figure out," Kid replied, "Can you guys get me out of here?"

"If we can find the key, yeah," Tetra answered as she got to her feet and surveyed the room. There wasn't much furniture besides a few chairs and a small table. Drawing closer to the table, her eyes discovered a deck of cards, a few forgotten dice, and, most importantly, a golden key. She grabbed it from the table, rolling her eyes at Nudge's stupidity. The whole point of having a locked treasury was so it wasn't accessible to just anyone who happened by. Leaving the key in plain sight defeated the purpose.

Kneeling down beside the hatch, she inserted the key into the lock and turned. Tetra lifted the hatch and held it open as Kid climbed out using the ladder. Once he was up, she motioned for Zuko to keep the entrance open for her and descended into the treasury where light was scarce.

"What are you doing?" Kid asked, curious.

"Did you wake up on a broken tile?" Tetra wanted to know.

"I have no idea, but whatever it was, it wasn't comfortable," Kid confided. Tetra let her eyes adjust to the feeble lighting before beginning her search. The tile wasn't hard to find since it was the only thing without the protection of a treasure chest or sealed crate. Satisfied, Tetra scaled the ladder and gestured for Zuko to close the hatch, so she could lock it again.

"So are the others here or not?" Kid inquired, tapping the toe of his boot on the floor uneasily.

"What do you think?" Tetra sighed, turning the key and removing it.

"Not," Kid guessed.

"Right you are," Tetra informed him, as she tossed the key up once and then snatched it out of the air, effectively trapping it in her closed fist, "From what I understand, all of us would have arrived exactly where we left if it wasn't for the shenanigans of my crew." She stopped to glower at the two pirates present before continuing, "But that can't be helped now. We'll have to find them, but first I want to retrieve that piece of floor I woke up on. It has writing on it that the others can decipher for us."

"Wait. What happened? What did your crew do while we were away?" Kid wondered, looking to Niko and Zuko with suspicion.

"There was a mishap with a bomb that basically blew apart the entire room at the end of the tunnels. You know, under the grave?" Tetra supplied.

"Where did you guys go?" Niko interjected, "No matter how much we looked we couldn't find you." Niko then gave a small shudder. "I was starting to think Gonzo would have to take over."

"Look, it's a really long and complicated story that we don't have time for," Tetra huffed, heading for the stairs.

"There's always time for stories," Niko disagreed.

"Not when everyone is missing, there's not," Tetra shot back, "Hurry up, you three. I'm going to need help getting this thing on the ship." Kid started up the stairs behind her with Niko in tow pestering him to tell the story while Zuko brought up the rear.

The four of them emerged on deck, the stuffiness of the innards of the ship replaced with the hazy heat above.

"It's hot up here," Kid remarked.

"Yup, it's one of those days," Tetra agreed as she tucked the key away in her wallet and made her way over to the side of the ship. She disembarked with Kid and Zuko as Niko held the rope ladder steady to the best of his capability. Tetra then led her companions to the cove. The tile was too heavy for her to lift, but Kid, aided by his power bracelets, didn't have much of a problem.

"I don't think I can climb that ladder with this," Kid announced, readjusting his grip on the large tile in his arms.

"We could go up to the top of the hill and jump down," Tetra proposed.

"Lead the way," Kid invited. With Tetra and Zuko directing him around obstacles, be it an up-coming turn he couldn't see due to the object he was carrying or a pig running around the island.

"Can I just throw it down?" Kid set the tile down in the grass to catch his breath once they reached the hill.

"No!" Tetra shook her head furiously. "I want it as intact as we can get it."

"Alright," Kid submitted after a brief pause. Tetra watched him as he peered over the side, taking note of the small gap he'd have to jump over to ensure he didn't land in the water, before picking up the broken piece of floor and leaping off. She kept an eye on him as he landed on the deck a few feet below. Kid managed to keep hold of the hard to lift tile despite stumbling upon landing. Tetra let Zuko jump down next before following suit.

She hastily climbed down the ladder that was available and turned back to look up at her best friend who, for whatever reason, seemed to forget he was on a raised section of the deck.

"Wait, don't-" Tetra attempted to warn him. She was a second too late, for her words didn't register in time for Kid to stop. His next step was nothing but air, and Kid slipped off of the upper deck with a surprised yell.

Tetra gasped. "Kid! Is the tile okay?" She crouched down next to Kid's sprawled form and tried to see the condition of the object he was laying on top of.

"I'm sure it's doing better than I am," Kid groaned as he rolled off of it.

"Quit being dramatic," Tetra said, running a hand across the rough surface of the tile, "You've fallen from greater heights than that before." It was true. Of course, she'd had something to do with most of those falls, which she'd eventually apologized for. Most of them, anyway.

With a helping hand from Niko, Kid was back on his feet and reclaiming the bronze tile. Zuko held the door open as Tetra led Kid through it, and, even though there weren't any obstacles, Tetra noticed that he tread more carefully this time and with just a touch of hesitance. Then they came to the stairs which presented an entirely new challenge.

"Uh, are you sure you can't get Nudge to do this?" Kid wondered, fully aware of the new hindrance in his path.

"At the moment, Nudge can barely hold himself up, so I don't think you want his help," Tetra answered with brutal honestly.

"One of the others?" Kid ventured.

"Kid, they're all drunk," Tetra stated, realizing she had to spell it out for him.

"Oh." Kid was quiet for a second for saying, "How did that happen?"

"You really need to ask that?" Tetra tested.

"Good point." Kid nodded pensively.

Being pirates, they were practically born with their sea legs, and, although Kid was technically an islander, he never seemed to have a problem with the constant motion of ships. Tetra could tell that being stuck in the treasury didn't give him time to adjust to the gentle rocking of the vessel since she noticed him trying to be discreet as he clumsily shifted his weight in order to keep his balance.

She inched past him, calling for Niko and Zuko to help. The two pirates hurried to follow her orders and soon the three of them were holding onto one side of the tile, while Kid held firmly onto the other, bearing most of the weight. The four of them then began the painstaking process of descending the stairs step by step. After reaching the landing, they struggled down a second flight of stairs which had Tetra silently cursing the stronger members of her crew for being so irresponsible at the café. They were grown men. One would think that they would be able to keep themselves in check.

Tetra unlocked the hatch and pulled it open. A minor disagreement ensued about the best way to get the tile inside, but it was quickly resolved by Tetra herself when she concluded that the way down to the treasury wasn't much farther than the fall Kid had taken earlier and proceeded to order her friend to toss the tile down. Kid was more than happy to do so since it meant less heavy lifting for him, and swiftly complied. Tetra let the laws of Nayru slam the hatch closed for her before locking it once again. The rug was then pulled back over it, as if putting a definite end to that particular mission of theirs.

"Can we hear the story now?" Niko inquired hopefully, taking a seat on one of the chairs in the room as if the matter was already decided.

"You're not getting a full version until everyone on this ship is sober," Tetra informed him, crossing her arms over her chest in finality.

"I can live with that," Niko replied without a hint of sarcasm. Niko wasn't sarcastic. In fact, Tetra didn't think he was capable of it since she'd lived with him her entire life and never once heard him exercise derision when speaking.

She glanced between both Niko and Zuko to make sure she had their full, undivided attention before summing up their unexpected trip to a parallel world as best as she could, "There happens to be a world that runs parallel to ours and we accidentally went there, awakened an ancient demon guy, met our counterparts, went through a bunch of nonsense that turned out to make the situation worse, lost when we faced off against the demon, and became trapped there while the sages and Link's sister were teleported here. Then we found a way to come back, but our counterparts came with us because the demon lord is here now, and we have to kill him. Thanks to you numbskulls, we need to take the time to track down our counterparts  _and_ Medli, Makar, and Aryll. Got all that?"

At first silence reigned over the room, and then an abrupt laugh from Niko made it crumble to nothing. When no one joined him, Niko's laugh sputtered out like a flame. "That…wasn't a joke?" Niko asked timidly.

"It's the complete and honest truth," Kid insisted, backing up her story. Niko looked to Zuko for support. However, from the expression on his face, Zuko didn't seem to know what to think about the explanation of their prolonged absence.

"Are you sure it wasn't a dream?" Niko checked, turning back to Tetra and Kid.

"We were gone for days," Tetra reminded him, knowing that time in both worlds functioned the same way. A minute here, was a minute there, so there wasn't a remote chance that her crew had a different concept of the time they were absent. Knowing Mako, he most likely documented it, but Tetra couldn't ask him exactly how long it had been just yet.

Niko seemed to consider this, but before he could form a response Tetra sighed in irritation, "Listen, it doesn't matter if you don't believe us right now because you will. We have living proof this time."

"Once we find them," Kid added.

"C'mon, let's ship out. We won't find anyone by sitting in one spot," Tetra declared, turning on her heel and marching towards the stairs.

"Are you sure they're not on the island?" Kid wondered, quickly catching up and matching his pace with hers.

"Positive," Tetra confirmed, beginning to climb the stairs. Kid held onto the railing for support since he still hadn't completely adapted to the rocking motion of the ship.

"How are you so sure? Did you look?" Kid queried.

"No, but I know they're not there. They can't be. We both woke up on those tiles," Tetra pointed out, "so there's obviously a connection. If that room hadn't been destroyed, we would have all awoken in there."

"So you're saying the floor corresponded to places in Hyrule, like it was one huge map?" Kid pondered as they reached the landing and started up the second flight of stairs.

"That's my theory, and if it's true, that means the others awoke on top of one of the other pieces," Tetra predicted.

"Are the tiles buoyant?" Kid wondered, sounding worried. That thought hadn't occurred to her, and she looked over her shoulder to see the only other able members of her crew climbing the protesting steps.

"Zuko, did the rest of the debris float away or sink?" Tetra asked, dreading the answer.

"Float," Zuko replied. Kid and Tetra both let out a breath of relief. So the others were out there somewhere, maybe not completely out of harm's way, but at least it was unlikely that either of them were drowned or drowning.

"How are we going to find them? This happened a while ago, right?" Kid turned to Zuko for the answer to his second question as they filed out the door and onto the main deck.

Zuko nodded in confirmation. "A week. Roughly." Tetra wasn't pleased with this new information. The tide could have taken that debris anywhere by now which meant that Link and Princess Zelda could be anywhere. Tetra just hoped that neither of them were unlucky enough to be on a piece of the broken tiles that had been carried past the borders of the Great Sea and into unexplored territory.

She stopped abruptly in the middle of the deck to think. They had no way of contacting them. In hindsight, she should have given one of them the Pirate's Charm that she'd entrusted to Kid just in case something like this happened. Tetra bowed her head in thought, closing her eyes as she oftentimes did when she needed inspiration. It had never failed her before and this time was no different. In the darkness of her closed eyelids, her mind's eye formed a mental image of the Triforce. That was it.

Opening her eyes, she took the fragment of the Triforce of Wisdom that she wore around her neck, into her hands. It felt cold. No warmth flowed through it like it had before when she'd tracked down the Princess of Hyrule in the castle so long ago. Her counterpart seemed to be too far out of range for her their Triforce pieces to react. Abandoning her mission to find the princess for the time being, Tetra turned to Kid and said, "Try to use your Triforce piece to track down Link."

"But he is Link," Niko protested before Kid had a chance to respond..

"My counterpart has the same name as me. He's a bit older though," Kid informed Niko who still seemed lost despite the explanation.

"I don't know how to use the Triforce of Courage though," Kid admitted, addressing Tetra.

"You mean you don't feel anything when Link is close? There's no reaction?" Tetra wondered.

"Well, at first there was but it stopped," Kid said, inspecting the back of his left hand. The Triforce mark wasn't present, and if she didn't know any better, she'd say that it wasn't even there.

"Did you ever try calling on it before?" Tetra queried.

"Not really." Kid shook his head slowly, uncertain where this was leading. "I kinda just let it do whatever it wants."

"Time to change that. You're the owner of it, aren't you? Don't let it decide when it's going to be helpful. Try tapping into it and seeing if you can reach out to the other Triforce of Courage," Tetra commanded, keeping her eyes trained on his hand in expectation. Kid shut his eyes, concentrating. Tetra waited with Niko and Zuko for something to happen. After a minute, nothing did.

"I can't," Kid said finally, opening his eyes.

"Fine, then we'll just have to sail around and hope for the best," Tetra sighed. She hated to do it the hard way, but it didn't seem like they had much of a choice. She took a quick survey of the air before continuing, "An easterly wind is blowing so we might as well see if that gets us anywhere."

"But there's only four of us," Kid pointed out, "Is that enough people to get the ship moving?"

Tetra swept her eyes over her improvised crew to assess what she had to work with. Kid usually changed the wind direction so it worked in their favor, but when he wasn't doing that he did mediocre swabbie work with Niko. Otherwise, he had some experience with sails and sailing in general so she hoped she could count on him for help in hoisting and lowering the sails. Niko was basically useless for anything besides swabbing the deck, doing laundry, and completing small errands around the ship, so he wouldn't be much of a help in making it work. Then there was Zuko, the ever pensive lookout. She couldn't imagine him giving him any other job to do. As captain, she knew how to execute every task there was which meant all the other duties automatically fell to her. Until she regained the other members of her crew, that is.

"We can make it work," Tetra announced, "I'll steer, you two will help me with the sails," Tetra pointed to Kid and Niko who exchanged nervous glances with each other, "and Zuko will be our lookout as usual."

"What am I looking for? Besides the usual?" Zuko wanted to know.

"Look for a guy that basically looks like an older version of him," Tetra said, gesturing to Kid, "He should be wearing a similar outfit, and his hair is darker too. Also keep an eye out for a young woman with brown hair in a braid wearing a long purple dress." Zuko nodded in comprehension before tucking his telescope under his arm and starting up the ladder to the crow's nest. If they couldn't rely on their Triforce pieces for help, Zuko's keen eye was the next best thing. He could spot detail from miles away with nothing but that weathered telescope of his.

"You two, get the portside, I'll get starboard, but don't drop anything until I tell you to!" Tetra called over her shoulder as she ran over to the right side of the ship so she could access the rigging there. Scaling the mix of ropes and cables was second nature to her and in no time at all she was underneath the crow's nest, untying the first knot that kept the sail immobile. Her fingers worked the knots loose with swift expertise no matter how complicated they were. For her, it was merely muscle memory since she'd been tying and untying knots since she was little, as had every other committed sailor or pirate on the Great Sea.

In no time at all, her side of the sail was free, being held up now only by her firm grip on the rough ropes.

"Are you two finished yet?" Tetra asked, craning her neck in an attempt to see past the sturdy mast in her way.

"Almost," came Kid's grunted reply as he warred with a difficult knot. Tetra didn't mind waiting for them to finish as much as she'd thought she would. The cacophony of gulls crying above their heads was somehow soothing, as if they were welcoming her back to where she belonged. This reassurance from nature, from her home, could almost convince her that nothing was wrong. However, she knew better than to be tricked by such false senses of security. Just because she was home, didn't mean that she could rest easy. If she did, it would all be taken away.

"We're ready whenever you are!" Niko shouted, much louder than was necessary in her opinion.

Tetra let her thoughts dissipate into the air with the nonsense of the seagulls above and replied, "On three. Ready?"

At a confirmation from the other two, Tetra began to count. "One. Two…Three!" She released her hold on the ropes that had previously been limiting the mobility of the sail and watched as the large piece of fabric unfurled. Climbing down to the deck, Tetra didn't let their success get her excited. They weren't moving yet, and she had a feeling that once they started it wasn't going to be easy for her to maneuver out of the spot they were anchored in.

"Kid, weigh anchor," Tetra ordered once he stepped onto the deck, "You're probably the only one strong enough to do it at the moment." He gave her a small salute before running off to follow the orders he was given. She rushed to the back of the ship where the helm was located.

"What should I do?" Niko wondered as he trailed after her hesitantly.

"Hold onto something," Tetra advised him as she took the wheel. She could tell exactly when the anchor was raised without looking. It was a slight difference in the way the waves buffered the sides of the ship. It was the feeling of true freedom. She jerked the wheel hard to port, clutching the spokes and planting her feet on the platform to keep her balance. Niko, who had heeded her earlier advice, tightened his grip on the side of the ship.

"Tetra!" Kid yelled from the other side of the deck where he was hugging the railing, "A little warning would've been nice!"

"If we're not anchored to anything you should expect some movement," Tetra shouted back, unsympathetic as she righted the ship so it faced into the wind. Now all she had to do was turn the vessel around so the wind could catch the sail properly and propel them forward.

Tetra eased the ship into the next turn since the immediate danger of hitting the island or the random rocks surrounding it had passed. After completing a wide semi-circle, Tetra straightened the wheel and was satisfied to feel a breeze at her back. Now all she could do was hope that they were able to find Link and Princess Zelda before something, or someone, else did.


	7. Of Fishes and Fairies

"Link! Wake up already!" a distant voice shouted. By the sound of it, the owner must have been trying to get through to him for quite a while if the impatient tone was a reliable indicator. It wasn't by choice that he ignored the voice. Most of his consciousness was still struggling to catch up to him, as if he had traveled halfway into the tunnel that the voice was trying to call him out of and the rest of him insisted on lingering at the entrance. He had no concept of time, so he didn't know how long he laid immobile and unresponsive. It could have been no more than a few seconds or it could have been as long as an hour before he gradually became aware of the hard surface beneath him and the heat that seemed to be trying to cook him alive.

Link cracked open his eyes, disoriented by the brightness of the sky and the birds circling above with mewling cries that irritated his head. Then, just like that, he remembered. He shot up into a sitting position so fast that he made himself dizzy, but he was too focused on his new-found fear to notice for more than half a second.

"Finally." Link turned to see Midna with her arms crossed over her chest in exasperation, "Do you want the good news first or the bad news?"

"Will the good news make me feel better after hearing the bad news?" Link asked.

The Twilight Princess considered it for a couple seconds before saying, "Not really."

"Then it doesn't matter which one comes first," Link sighed, feeling defeated already.

"Okay then. The good news is, the song worked," Midna informed him with optimism as she gestured to their surroundings. Link threw a disinterested look over the landscape. His indifference quickly transformed into awe as he came to the realization that what stretched out before him wasn't land. It was water. Endless amounts of it sloshing in big waves like a child was trying to carry a bucket of the universal liquid and couldn't help spilling it over the sides. The only difference was that the ocean didn't get any smaller the more he admired it. If anything, it got larger.

"The bad news is, the others aren't here," Midna added before he could fully appreciate the sea before him. Suddenly, the expanse of heaving water didn't seem all that appealing.

"Is this island inhabited?" Link wondered as he got to his feet.

"What is that?" Midna questioned him, pointing at something on the ground behind him. His own inquiry momentarily forgotten, Link followed Midna's finger to the sloped rock he was standing on. A bronze tile glinted in the sunlight. As far as he could tell, it had been broken off from a larger piece, but that wasn't what piqued his interest. What caught his attention and held it was the letters engraved into the damaged tile. It was the written language that he was used to.

From what he could decipher through the scratches marring the surface of it, there were only two letters: "R" and "U". He suspected that there was another letter following the "U", and probably another preceding it, but there was no more than a chipped line after the second letter. It could've been anything.

"That's weird," Link muttered, kneeling down to inspect it further, "Why would something like this be here?"

"Maybe it's wreckage from something?" Midna proposed, leaning over his shoulder to get a closer look. By the state it was in, Link didn't doubt that. What he wanted to know was where it had come from. Unfortunately, he didn't have access to that information.

"I don't know," Link said, standing up, "but we have more important mysteries to be solving."

"Like figuring out where the others are?" Midna inquired.

"Exactly," Link replied as he drew the Master Sword from its sheath. "Fi, can you determine where everyone else is?"

Fi materialized gracefully before him, the breeze that was present didn't seem to ruffle her attire as it was doing to his. "It is possible for you to employ your dowsing ability to search for the missing members of your group," Fi announced. He was grateful that he at least had Fi. Until she had mentioned it, the ability to dowse had slipped his mind.

"Right. Can we search for Tetra?" Link requested. Out of everyone, he knew that Tetra was the only person that owned a ship, so if he could find her, they could work together to find the rest of them.

"One moment." The sword spirit bowed her head slightly before picking it back up and continuing, "Master, I have set Tetra as the dowsing target. Be aware that Zelda and Tetra share the same aura so there may be interference."

Link nodded to show he understood, and Fi disappeared in a shimmer of lavender. The Master Sword pulsed faintly in his grip. Moving farther up the rocky incline, he was momentarily distracted by the land in front of him which stretched out in such a way that it formed a star. Boulders, some larger than others, stood proud and immovable at all the soft points except for one. Grass grew wild and untamed in many areas with only pink and white flowers to break the pattern. He could also discern a few scrawny trees that barely nurtured any leaves on their branches. The largest one was in the very middle of the island, surrounded by a circle of tropical flowers. However, it didn't even begin to measure up to half the height of the trees in Faron Woods.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say this place is uninhabited," Link predicted, putting a hand on one of the smaller boulders that were scattered around the island as he ventured a little closer to the center in an attempt to see the other side.

"What was your first clue? The overgrown vegetation or the fact that you can basically see from one side to the other?" Midna quipped.

"Both." Link shrugged as he began to sweep the sword from one side to the other in an effort to get a reaction. He did get one, but it wasn't the burst of purple light he'd been expecting. Instead the blade remained almost neutral as he held it steady. Link experimentally walked in the indicated direction and was pleased to find the pulse strengthen a bit as he strolled between the two largest boulders. He moved past the second one to find nothing but ocean. Farther left of the horizon, he could distinguish a dark shape rising up out of the water that he assumed was another island. However, after lining the sword up with the structure, the small reaction he'd managed to coax from it died.

Moving the blade back to the direction in question, Link found that he couldn't get much more of a response no matter which way he repositioned the sword or which direction he chose to approach it from. Fully aware of what a small reaction meant, Link didn't let it bother him. For all he knew, the sword was directing him to Zelda instead. Abandoning his current location, Link walked around the island with the sword held out before him which prompted Midna to comment on how stupid he looked. He told her that if it got them off the island, he was willing to endure the embarrassment.

However, it didn't seem that his suffering was worth it, for the only other response he could coax from the dowsing feature was even more miniscule than the last. It didn't matter which one was Tetra anymore. They were both far away which meant he wasn't going to be getting off this star-shaped island anytime soon.

Link sheathed the Master Sword with a heavy sigh and sat down beneath the tree in the middle of the isolated piece of land. It was the only thing large enough to provide him with sufficient shade from the sun. Unfortunately, the large, sheltering leaves did nothing to prevent the humidity in the air from crowding him.

"I'm so hot," he complained, leaning back against the trunk.

"Don't flatter yourself. Eee hee!" Midna giggled, lounging in the air.

"That's not what I meant," Link refuted.

"Uh huh. Whatever you say," Midna replied in a tone that implied she didn't believe him. Link didn't bother trying to convince her that he was being serious since he knew that she was only teasing him. He tilted his head back so he had a nice view of the branches above.

"Hey, Midna," Link said, an idea forming in his head, "What if we made a raft?"

"How do you plan on doing that?" Midna wondered, curious.

"Well, I could cut off some of the branches using the Master Sword and-" Midna interrupted him with a laugh.

"I'm pretty sure that's an insult to the Master Sword," Midna remarked, "Besides, even if you did manage to make a raft, I don't think you're going to be getting very far with those waves." Link couldn't help feeling disappointed when Midna pointed that out. She was right. He could barely navigate the rapids of Zora's River in a well-constructed canoe. On a poorly made raft in those swells, he wouldn't last more than a minute.

His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten anything today. The position of the sun told him it was around noon. Link could only hope that Kid wasn't stranded on some deserted island like he was, although, being an islander himself, Kid would probably be faring better than him anyway.

Abandoning the mercy of the shade, Link wandered towards one of the many steep edges of the island so he could view the vast sea. He wasn't used to the way that the water was divided from the sky by a barely visible line on the horizon. They looked so close to each other, almost as if they could touch if they both tried hard enough. The sky was one of those things that he never expected to change. It would be familiar no matter what. However, Link was finding that that particular assumption of his was incorrect. In this world, the sky was more noticeable with its bright turquoise hue and swirling wisps of cloud. Whether that was a result of its illusive proximity to the ground or not, he couldn't say.

In the distance a fish jumping out of the water caught his eye which gave him an idea that his stomach seemed to agree with even if his nose protested being so close to the ocean. The fragrance of salt permeating the air was beginning to sting his nose, but there wasn't much he could do except try his best to ignore it. He'd get used to it eventually, or so he hoped.

Link dug out his fishing rod from his belongings. The coral earring he'd received from Prince Ralis was still attached to it, serving as a hook. After his adventure, he'd attempted to give it back, but the young Zora had insisted he keep it, so he had. As he had found, it was useful for catching more than just Reekfish.

Link attached some bait to the fishing hook before finding a spot on the slick rock to sit where the waves couldn't quite reach him. He then cast the line out towards the area of open ocean that he recalled seeing the jumping fish in. Almost immediately he was rewarded with a bite which surprised him. Usually it took a few minutes. Then again, where there was one fish, there was probably a dozen more in a large body of water such as this.

As he reeled in his catch, he met no form of resistance. It was almost as if the fish was willingly swimming towards him. Much to his irritation, the fish got away right before the hook broke the surface. Link could distinctly see the dark shadow of the small fish just beneath the water, mocking him. Before he had time to wonder why it wasn't swimming away as fast as possible, the fish surfaced and looked at him curiously with eyes that belonged on the face of a human. Link was too startled to speak but the creature bobbing up and down in time with the rough waves seemed to have it covered.

"Keh! That's what I'm talking about!" the specimen proclaimed with joviality, "I was starting to think there was only one type of bait out there. Thanks for proving me wrong! Think you can do me a favor and tell all your buddies to start using this premium brand of bait instead of that other stuff?"

' _It's a fish and it's talking to me,'_  was the only thought Link had at the moment. Talking fish? Since when was that a thing? Never once had it been mentioned that there were fish in this world with the capability of human speech. Then again, he wasn't positive it was a fish. It looked like one in every aspect except for the face which appeared vaguely human with a defined nose, wide lips, and round eyes.

His facial expression must have been portraying the exact degree of his astonishment more than he thought, for the creature spoke once again. "What's the matter? Never seen a fishman before?" Link shook his head, the ability to blink, and speak, temporarily deserting him. The fishman chuckled and continued, "Nothing to be scared of. I won't bite anything except bait. Though if I'm feeling hungry enough…" the strange creature laughed and waved an orange fin the way a human would wave a hand in dismissal when Link's gradually relaxing expression defaulted to uneasy. "Nah, I'm only messin' with ya. Keh, keh! So, what did you need?"

"What did I need?" Link repeated, dumbfounded.

"I've never been given a ride to anyone quite like that before so there must be something you want to know. Or were you just being nice and letting a humble fishman have some unique fun? I'm not objecting either way, mind you," the fishman explained.

Link decided to milk this for all it was worth, for it was obviously a gift from the goddesses. He had so many questions and here was someone, or would that be some fish? offering to give him answers.

"Can you tell me where the nearest inhabited island is located?" Link inquired.

"If by inhabited, you mean an island with folks like yourself, then there are two. Tingle Island and Windfall Island. They're both, more or less, the same distance away, though I personally wouldn't recommend Tingle Island. I usually stay around in these waters, but sometimes I get word from my brothers. From what I've heard, some mighty strange people live there, but what do I know? I'm a fish. And that's all the info I've got for you!" The fishman started to duck underwater again, and Link scrambled to his feet.

"Wait!" he called out before the fish creature could fully submerge himself. He stayed on the surface and eyed Link in annoyance. "I have some more questions."

"Think this is a free service, do you?" the fishman startled him by the clipped tone he used, "Well, let me be the first to tell you, it's not. See, being a fishman isn't easy and it's hard to come by grub, especially good grub. That little exchange we just had? I was only repaying you for the meal you provided me with."

"What if I gave you more?" Link asked, wondering how he ever got to be bargaining with a fish in the first place, "Will you answer my questions then?"

"One piece of bait equals one answer," the fishman stated, "Deal?"

"Deal," Link nodded eagerly, already pulling out some more bait. He threw a piece into the water which the creature quickly gobbled up. "Is there any way off of this island? Besides a boat?"

"Huh? Were you shipwrecked?" the fishman wondered.

"Something like that," Link agreed.

"That's unfortunate. Sorry to tell you this, but unless you can grow wings, you're out of luck," replied the fishman who immediately submerged himself in the waves as soon as he was finished speaking.

Getting the hint, Link threw out some more bait and waited for it to be consumed before posing his next question. "Would you be able to go to one of the nearest inhabited islands and get someone to send a boat out here or something?"

"That would take me hours, and there are many predators in this sea that I'd rather not tempt by swimming around and advertising myself as a free meal. I know the safest parts of these waters, and I'd rather stick to them," the fishman answered truthfully.

"Would you do it if I gave you all the bait I have?" Link queried, ignoring the small part of him that urged him to stop feeding the talking fish. For all he knew, feeding this particular species of fish could make them grow into huge man eaters.

"No," the fishman responded without taking a moment to consider the offer, "Although, if you're feeling generous, I wouldn't mind taking all that bait off your hands."

"Can you point me in the general direction of one of the inhabited islands?" Link requested as he held up another morsel of slimy bait that the fish creature he was conversing with seemed to adore so much.

The fishman was more than happy to deliver with the promise of food and, after Link tossed him the tidbit, he gestured a fin to the distance and proclaimed, "See that island all the way out there? That's Northern Fairy Island. To the south of here, over that way," the fishman gestured to the best of his capabilities to indicate which way was south, "is Mother and Child Isles. To get to the nearest inhabited islands, you want to go straight between those two, and then you'll be near Spectacle Island where you can choose to go east or south to civilization."

"Okay, thank you," Link nodded absentmindedly as he fabricated a crude map of the islands in his mind's eye. The fishman let the next swell consume him. Link watched the shadow linger in the water expectantly, waiting in hopes of something that would never come. When Link didn't make a move to grant the fishman's wish, he turned tail and swam away.

Suddenly, Link wasn't hungry anymore as he realized that, while he'd still been ignorant to the truth of his catch, he'd had full intentions of eating it. Reeling in a fishman, however, was an excellent method of involuntarily surrendering all ties to one's appetite, which was precisely why Link stowed away his fishing rod and bait and made the short trek to the middle of the island.

"Well,  _that_  was interesting," Midna commented as soon as Link was shaded once again by the tree's leafy canopy.

"More like terrifying," Link corrected her as he leaned against the trunk of the tree, his attention only half focused on the conversation. A plan was beginning to take form in his mind and the more he thought about it, the crazier it sounded, which could only mean that it was something only someone like him would dare try and, perhaps, be capable of pulling off.

"So fish people like Zoras are okay, but people fish like that guy are something to be feared," Midna mused in an attempt to decipher his logic. The fact that Zoras didn't feel compelled to attach themselves to the end of fish hooks for enjoyment, seemed to have slipped the Twili's mind. Zoras were also refined, and civilized. He wouldn't have had to feed one in order to obtain directions to the nearest source of society.

' _What if that fishman is the equivalent of a Zora in this world?'_  The thought hit Link like a brick. That was impossible, right? Aside from the couple human-like qualities the fish possessed, it was nothing more than a fish living in the ocean. A small fish, in a very, very large pond. It was nothing like the Zoras, but then again, the Great Deku Tree had told them that the counterparts of people could vastly differ from each other. There wasn't an organized society of fishmen, were there? If there was, Link prayed that he would never stumble upon it.

A strange sound startled him into scattering all thoughts of fishmen and their possible affinity to the Zora race. It was faint, just barely registering over the shushing of the surf swelling over the sloping rock that shaped the island and the screaming seagulls dancing with the wind above. A mocking,  _da dink_ ,  _da dink_ , found its way past all of the other nonsense and into his ears.

"Do you hear that too, Midna?" Link asked, wondering if the sea air was starting to have a strange impact on his senses. Midna tilted her head to the side, listening.

Suddenly she gasped, her eyes widening in surprise as they fell on something behind him. "Watch out!"

Tensing into a battle stance almost without thinking, Link's hand found its way to the hilt of the Master Sword. As he turned around, he pulled the sword from its protective royal blue and gold cover and aimed the gleaming blade chest high. While his reaction was good, his aim could have been better, for the creature behind him was quite short in stature.

Link jumped back as it thrust its three pronged weapon at him. The hostile creature appeared to be a monster, unlike the fishman he'd managed to glean information out of for a small price. After quickly assessing its devil-like features, he executed a horizontal slice, aiming lower this time. The monster seemed to only have sights for the offensive, for it didn't make any attempts to parry or evade his attack. The Master Sword sliced cleanly through the creature which disappeared in a swirl of purple and black haze, as if it had never been.

 _Da dink, da dink._ Link whirled around to find three more of the monsters, all of varying hues.

"Where are these ugly things coming from?!" Midna exclaimed, hovering higher in the air when one of the approaching monsters tried to prick her with the end of its pitch fork.

"Better question: what the heck are they?" Link wanted to know, putting an end to the demonic creatures before him. They weren't the prettiest sight with oversized teeth protruding from the upper lips of their wide mouths and squinty green eyes fixed into their flat, scale-shaped heads from which large ears and twin horns sprouted out of the top and sides.

Link had been expecting Fi to appear and offer her priceless information like she normally did. For some reason, the sword spirit didn't feel inclined to intrude on the situation. When more of the odd monsters showed up out of seemingly nowhere, Link urged Fi to provide him with some advice.

"Master, I have no records of this particular enemy," Fi announced.

"Finally something you don't know." Midna grinned deviously as if she'd discovered Fi's weakness at last.

"Midna, that's not a good thing," he reminded her. Then addressing Fi as he fought off more of the creatures, "This isn't an enemy made by Ghirahim?"

"There is a ninety-six percent probability that these creatures originate solely from this alternate world," Fi calculated, "You have defeated seven of this particular enemy. From what I have observed, these creatures lack strength and rely on numbers to overwhelm their prey. They appear to be agile and capable of climbing over various surfaces. Much like their intelligence levels, their endurance is low and a minimal hit from any weapon will easily dispose of them. Nonetheless, I advise you to deal with them individually so they don't encircle you, Master."

As Link took a quick survey of his surroundings, he noticed that the creatures were attempting to close in on him. Taking Fi's suggestion, Link attacked the nearest monster that was trying stab him. One of the little devils attached itself to his leg and he hastily shook it off only to accidentally stumble into one of the other monster's three-pronged weapon. Link distanced himself from the pitchfork before it could embed itself into his side and do actual damage. He then disposed of the cackling owner of the weapon and turned to intercept another monster.

It didn't seem to matter how many he killed. Their quantity seemed to be as endless as the ocean circumnavigating the small island that he'd become prisoner to. In the span of time he'd been fighting, he'd also been constantly moving to ensure he wouldn't become ensnared in a circle of the persistent creatures which meant he had no protection from the sun and, in turn, the heat. While he was tiring, the simple-minded monsters kept coming, merciless. If he'd had a choice, he would have backed out of the fight since he knew that he'd be overcome by their numbers very soon. Unfortunately, there was nowhere for him to go. The best he could do was distance himself from the main horde of them as much as possible. The result of this action of his, caused him to become mystified.

A few laggards remained with him, rather than with the main mass of monsters, and he swiftly ended their pitiful existence before noticing what the others were doing. Instead of approaching him, they were retreating. At first Link thought they were going to crawl back into whatever hole they'd came out of, but he was wrong. As he observed them from afar, the creatures headed down to the very edges of the island and hopped into the water where they dissipated into thick clouds of smoke that quickly faded into the atmosphere. The fact that the group of monsters didn't hesitate to commit suicide, in fact they seemed almost eager, unnerved him.

"That takes care of that, I guess," Link said slowly, not willing to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"For now," Midna added mysteriously.

"Why do you have to say that?" Link wondered as he trekked back to the tree and slumped to the ground, attempting to catch his breath.

"Because it's probably true," Midna informed him as she blended with the shadows. He didn't doubt that. In fact, he didn't doubt that the whole island belonged to the little buggers, but did that mean that Ghirahim was responsible or someone else? As far as he understood from the stories Kid had told him of past adventures, the Great Sea was in a time of peace, so why were monsters present? Shouldn't they have all disappeared once Kid and Tetra defeated Ganon?

"It doesn't matter if they do come back," Link concluded, "because we're getting off of this island."

"How are you planning on doing that?" Midna inquired, her tone almost mocking as if she didn't believe he actually had a plan, or if he did have one, she knew it wouldn't work.

"With the Zora Armor," Link informed her.

"Link, take a look around! This is the largest body of water I've ever seen and you want to swim across it? Those islands are so far away, miles in fact. That armor might let you breathe underwater and swim faster, but it won't give you endless energy. You'll have to rest sometime."

"That's what the islands in between are for," Link declared as he pulled out the Zora Armor from his belongings.

Midna shook her head. "Do what you want, but I bet you won't even make it to the first island." Before he had a chance to retaliate, the Twilight Princess disappeared into the canopy above where the natural light of the sun was filtered through leaves before it struck the ground.

About a minute after he'd begun to don his Zora Armor, Midna called down to him, "I see a ship!"

Link immediately stopped what he was doing and swept his eyes over the ocean in front of him. When he didn't see anything, he circled around the tree in an attempt to see the ship Midna had spotted.

"Where?" Link asked when giant blue swells were the only things that greeted his eyes.

"Eee hee hee! Made you look!" Midna taunted from somewhere he couldn't see.

"Midna, that's not funny," Link glowered, resuming the task of putting on the complex armor.

"Maybe not for you," came the nonchalant reply. He didn't bother responding and instead began to put on the flipper-like boots which were much flimsier than they looked.

"Hey! Look at that, there's a boat!" Midna exclaimed, sounding surprised. Her act wasn't going to fool him this time.

"Link!" she insisted when he didn't respond, "There's a boat."

"Midna, how stupid do you think I am?" Link said without bothering to look up, "You're not tricking me again with that."

"How stupid I think you are doesn't have anything to do with this," Midna stated, "But since you asked, I think your levels of stupidity know no bounds. After all, you're stupid enough to completely ignore me when I say that there's a boat right there!"

"Have you ever heard of the boy who cried wolf?" Link wondered.

"You are a wolf," Midna pointed out.

"Only in the twilight," Link refuted, "And I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about a children's story. In it, there's a boy-"

"Ooh, I would never have guessed that one!" Midna interrupted, giggling.

Continuing as if she'd never said anything Link explained, "and his job was to guard a flock of sheep. He was bored, so he decided it would be fun to trick the villagers into thinking the flock was being attacked and yelled about a nonexistent wolf. Every time the villagers would come running and every time there would be nothing there. Eventually the people stopped believing him. When there really was a wolf no one bothered to answer his cries and the wolf scattered all of the sheep as a result."

"And the moral of the story is…" Midna trailed off expectantly.

"Stop lying to me," Link said flatly.

"Really now? Because I think it's, 'start believing me before that boat passes us,'" Midna retorted, floating down to where he could see her.

"Mmhmm," Link hummed, not willing to put forth the effort of entertaining her any longer.

"Fine. Don't believe me," Midna shrugged casually, "Just review the ending of that little story you just told me. How did it go again? Oh yeah, after all the lying he did, the boy was telling the  _truth_!"

Link sighed and glanced up for a second, intending to let his gaze drop back down to his current task when he didn't see anything but a gloating Midna and the bare sea. That intention was erased as soon his eyes found a moving object in the water. It was hard to see at first due to the fact that he was sitting down and the choppy waves were creating hills of blue which obscured his line of sight for a few seconds. When the water briefly settled, he could see it. A boat guided by the hard work of three figures. From this distance, Link couldn't distinguish details but that hardly mattered. It was a boat with people in it, and that was all he needed to know.

Hastily slipping his other foot the rest of the way into the other blue boot, Link hurried down to the water and dived into the first swell that came, taking note of the lukewarm water that closed over him like a giant blob of a fist.

The water stung his eyes with a vengeance as he opened them. This was nothing like swimming in fresh water where the initial sting faded after a few seconds and the visibility spanned a few feet in every direction. Here, in this ocean, he could barely see a foot ahead and the salt was burning his eyes with more ferocity than he thought possible.

Trying his best to ignore it, Link resurfaced and eyed the writhing sea to discern his target. After a few heart-pounding seconds during which he'd thought the boat and its passengers had capsized due to the massive swells, he spotted the small watercraft. He pulled the navy blue fabric over the lower half of his face before letting the next wave take him under. Propelling himself through the water in a similar fashion to a Zora, although he could never quite match their majesty or speed no matter how hard he tried, Link swam against the undetermined current in order to reach the individuals that would be his saviors.

The boat wasn't as far as the islands in the distance, but it wasn't very close to the star-shaped isle either so every now and then he would resurface to confirm that he was traveling in the correct direction.

"Hey!" Link shouted in greeting once he was close enough for the boat's inhabitants to see and hear. As they rowed closer to him, Link's earlier excitement began to fade a little. He wasn't normally one to judge people by their appearances, but in this case he couldn't help inferring more than a few things.

The men were garbed in similar outfits. In fact, the only difference he could discern about their choice of dress was the color scheme. Their almost identical faces led Link to believe they were related but he knew better than to assume so he didn't say anything as they rowed closer to him. He was sure to note that only two of them were rowing while the one in the front seemed to be along for the pleasure of the ride. How pleasurable it was to sit in a boat being buffeted by waves from every angle, Link didn't know.

"Huh? What have we found here?" The man sitting at the bow of the boat inspected him with the type of scrutiny that was usually reserved for unique specimens such as works of art or old pictographs. "Sir! Are you, perhaps, a fairy? Though, I've never seen a blue one before…"

Choosing to leave the answer to that particular inquiry hanging suspended in the air for the time being, Link changed the subject slightly. "Look, I've been sort of ship wrecked at that island over there for a while and since you have a boat I was wondering, if it's not too much trouble, would you be willing to take me to the nearest populated island?"

The way in which the man before him spoke, and the fashion in which they all opted to dress, caused Link to be wary. He'd met plenty of strange people in his many travels, but this man and his companions may have just won the nonexistent award for most peculiar. He wasn't inclined to trust them. In fact, his conscience advised him to go back to the remote Star Island, as he had unofficially dubbed it, and wait for some other ship to happen by. However, the chances of that occurring before he expired of dehydration, or deprivation in some other form, was unlikely, so he was left with little choice but to go with what was provided.

"Of course! But first, we've been looking for something that came off of the tower we call home. We're sure it was carried this way by the current," the little man in the queer green bodysuit proclaimed. If Link had to guess, he would say that this was the leader of their party.

"You didn't see anything really big and orange out here, did you?" another chimed in, this one dressed in two different shades of pink.

"I still can't believe a nasty storm like that ravaged the island," the final man, in white, muttered off to the side as Link shook his head in response to the former's question.

It was apparent that the man hadn't intended to advertise the comment for he was startled when Link asked, "What storm?"

"Oh, it was a really strange storm. I mean, we're used to storms but I've never seen a storm quite like that before," the one in pink informed him, "See, it came out of nowhere and was strong enough to damage our tower which has held up against everything brought upon it ever since my twin built it when he was ten."

"When did this happen?" Link wanted to know. Did Ghirahim have the power to cause a storm like that? Considering the fact that he possessed the Triforce of Power now, Link didn't doubt the prospect.

"Today. Just a few hours ago, actually," the white garbed one answered, "Why? Did a crazy storm blow past here too?"

"No, I was just curious, but do you really think the piece that broke off was carried this far already?" Link wondered as he treaded water with some difficulty.

"Most definitely, if not farther," affirmed the man in green, "The current is strong today, and it has carried us most of the way here."

"So you haven't seen anything of the sort?" the man wearing pink asked with evident apprehension in his tone as if Link's response could either save him or condemn him. "Big and orange? One side hollowed out?"

"Sorry," Link apologized, "I haven't noticed anything like that around here."

"Onward then!" the pink clad man proclaimed, picking up his oar and gesturing for his companion in white to do the same, "We must find it quickly before the current carries it beyond the sea's borders!"

"Wait!" Link exclaimed, "Is that a no on the ride then?" As much as he didn't trust this new group of people, he was desperate enough to go with them. After all, they had something vital that he didn't. A boat.

"We must find the missing piece of our tower first," the one in the pink bodysuit declared, "My twin brother won't let us back on the island until we find it."

"Is that really such a bad thing though?" the man in white mumbled, his levels of enthusiasm surrounding the search apparently the same as Link's. Link, however, could manage to find some semblance of enthusiasm in the search since helping them would most likely get him to a populated island which would, in turn, put him one step closer to finding his missing companions.

"Maybe I can help you look for it," Link suggested, "I'll search the other side of the island and let you know if I see anything."

"Will you really? That would be wonderful! Do let us know if you find anything!" the guy in green called after him as he began to swim backwards toward the relative safety of the island he'd awoken on. After hearing the reply, Link let the waves wash over him and pulled the fabric that filtered the water into oxygen for him over his face.

Swimming back to the island was less difficult than making his way out to the small boat if only for the fact that it wasn't a moving target. The large swells took him most of the way up the jagged side, so he didn't have to trek up to the flatter expanse at the top. Even if he couldn't yet believe that Hyrule was really somewhere beneath this large plain of writhing blue in waterlogged ruins, he could believe that the islands were once mountains. This one, at least.

"So you're really going to help those weirdos?" Midna wondered.

"Those weirdos have a boat," Link reminded her as he dug out the Hawkeye from his belongings.

"Fair point," Midna shrugged, "Hey! You should have asked those guys if they know Kid or Tetra."

"Why? Even if they do know them, it's not like they'll have any more of a clue of their whereabouts than we do," Link said, putting on the mask and searching the distance for a speck of orange. Among all the blue, it shouldn't be hard to find.

A couple minutes later he spotted something vaguely orange near the tiny island in the distance that appeared to be a huge shell rising up from the ocean. After stowing away the device, Link slipped back into the water and made his way back to the boat propelled by the strange threesome he'd met earlier. Once there, he informed them of his discovery, and they left at once, promising to return for him when the desired object was in their possession.

Link watched them row away vigorously. How the little boat didn't topple and deposit its queer passengers in the large swells, he would never know. Returning to the now familiar island, Link changed back into his regular clothes since the swimwear was, surprisingly, capable of absorbing more heat.

"Well, one thing is for sure, this place is  _very_  different from the world we know," Midna commented as they both settled beneath the large tree in the middle of the island to await the return of the vessel that would take them to civilization.

"Yeah, now I know how the others felt," Link replied, "This world is something else." Despite how unfamiliar it was, he couldn't help but notice some similarities with his own world. For instance, the short, but wide, cylindrical shadow of an island on the horizon that the fishman had dubbed Mother and Child Isles shared most of its designation with a pair of rocks located in Zora's Domain. He had no idea if Reekfish surrounded the isles, but he assumed that a similar type of fish inhabited those waters due to the name.

As for the three men that he'd met, they reminded them vaguely of Purlo, the green one especially. Not only did they share the same odd manner of dress, but a deceitful vibe that urged him to get as far away as possible also enveloped both men. Link knew the owner and creator of the STAR Game, Purlo, and that man was definitely on the list of his least favorite people. However, Link doubted that the man in this world, was a con artist as well. After all, not everyone's counterparts were exactly alike. Take Tetra and Zelda for instance. It was almost impossible for their personalities to get any further apart. The only thing they actually had in common, besides their souls, was the fact that they both had royal blood flowing through their veins. For his sake, Link hoped that none of those men were really sharing a soul with Purlo. Even if they were, he reflected, there was probably a way for him to beat them at their own game just like he had the underhanded proprietor of the STAR Game.

When the threesome returned an unmeasured amount of time later, Link met them at the steep, rocky shore. Nestled between them all was indeed a large orange object. It appeared to be made of wood and the paint slathered on it had faded into a lighter hue with time. The hollowed out interior appeared to contain several built in shelves that, if turned the other way, could have made the item into a suitable boat.

"Aha! I knew it!" the man in green cried with ecstasy, standing up in the boat, indifferent to his brothers', Link was fairly certain they were all related, distress when the craft swayed even more precariously in the frothy waves. "Those clothes! You are a fairy! Just like I long to be…." Here the man trailed off with a wistful look in his eyes, but he quickly snapped to attention as a fresh thought reanimated him. "Sir, are you perhaps related to the other fairy I met?"

The man was swaying side to side in anticipation, unable to contain his excitement. For the second time that day, Link was rendered speechless. Him? A fairy? Fairies were miniature, elusive sprites with wings. Aside from the Great Fairy, he'd never actually seen a single fairy that resembled a human, size and all. He could hear Midna snickering within his shadow, and he would have attempted to discreetly shush her with a conveniently timed cough but there was no need.

"My apologies, Mr. Fairy," the man in green bowed his head sincerely, "I should have introduced myself first. Tingle is my name and I've been saving up funds to search for the fairy folk, such as yourself. Now I've met two so there must be more. There are more of you, aren't there? Where do you and your kind live? I must know!"

Still confused and uncomfortable with the situation, Link could only assume that Tingle was speaking of Kid. Why had his counterpart neglected to mention vital things such as fishmen and this Tingle character before?

"This other uh…fairy you met. Is there any chance his name was Link?" he asked tentatively.

"So you know him? Wonderful!" exclaimed Tingle.

"Do you have any way of communicating with him?" Link dared to inquire.

"You want to send him a message?" Tingle wondered.

"Yes." Link nodded in confirmation.

"In that case I have just the thing!" Chanting, "Tingle, Tingle! Kooloo-limpah!" Tingle threw confetti into the air, first to the right, then the left, before spinning around and doing at little hop forward that nearly tipped the boat and produced even more multicolored pieces of square paper. "Become an item!" He then performed a small backflip and reclaimed his previous spot.

After this odd display, Link found himself holding a green glass bottle that was molded into the shape of Tingle's head. A scroll of parchment was nestled inside which was sealed in the bottle with a bulbous red stopper.

"Mr. Fairy, this is a Tingle Bottle," Tingle announced with obvious pride, "With it, messages put in this bottle can be sent to fairies the world over! A communication of minds! Hearts beating as one! Truly splendid it is!"

Link doubted the object's credibility, but decided that it couldn't hurt to try. Removing the stopper, Link took out the scroll of paper and unrolled it to find a pencil conveniently inside. Due to their differing written languages, he knew that whatever he wrote wouldn't be understood by his counterpart or anyone else in this world. However, it would probably never reach Kid anyway, so Link humored himself in writing,  _'Help me,'_  on the thick piece of parchment, before rolling it up and placing it back in the bottle which he capped off with the red stopper provided.

"What now?" he wanted to know.

"Now, throw it anywhere you like," Tingle instructed.

"Whatever you say…" Link played along, winding back his arm and throwing the green bottle out into the ocean. It bobbed in the waves for a couple seconds before disappearing.

"Whoa! Where'd it go?!" Link wondered, shading his eyes from the sun with a hand, thinking that its rays had somehow impeded his sight and caused his eyes to stray from the item. Even when the hills of blue leveled out momentarily, the bottle was nowhere to be found.

"It was sent to your fairy friend," Tingle informed him. Link thought it more likely that the bottle had been overwhelmed by the roughness of the sea and claimed by the waves to be added to the devastation of ruins that supposedly riddled the ocean floor. "Are you ready to go, Mr. Fairy?"

Inwardly cringing at the form of address, Link reluctantly nodded and climbed into the boat. It was just barely big enough to accommodate another person with the object that Tingle and his comrades had retrieved tied securely to the middle of the craft with ropes.

As they pushed off from the island and took to the open sea, the others introduced themselves as Ankle and David Jr. The latter of which warned him in a hushed voice that, due to his being shipwrecked on Tingle's island one unfortunate day when he was seventeen, he had been forced to work for the fairy-obsessed man ever since. The white-garbed man need not say anything else, for Link fully understood the implication and began to dread his decision to go with them.

Then, remembering whose counterpart he was possibly speaking with, Link asked quietly, "Are you pulling my leg?"

"No, sir," David Jr. whispered back as he rowed, "I really was a sailor once upon a time. That all ended when I was shipwrecked and awoke in this horrible uniform."

"If you hate it so much why don't you just leave?" Link wondered. Did Tingle really have the power to imprison the man on a single island and have him cater to his every whim?

"I've asked myself that many times and the answer still eludes me. It's not like I don't have a place to go, I was born on Windfall and spent most of my early years there, but ever since Tingle landed himself in jail for stealing something, I'm scared that they'll assume everyone who wears this outfit is a troublemaker and I'll be imprisoned next," David Jr. confided sadly.

Link let the conversation peter out there, knowing that he'd only learn more things about Tingle that he'd rather not the longer it went on. In fact, he was certain that the message he'd intended for Kid was no longer a joke. If he hadn't meant it while writing it, he definitely meant it now. He needed help. Unfortunately for him, the field of roiling blue surrounding him offered no assistance. If anything, it condemned him to being confined in an enclosed space with one too many insane people. He was starting to miss the star-shaped island inhabited by those devilish monsters. At least they could be disposed of.


	8. Search & Rescue

The pirate ship, perhaps the most well-known of those that inhabited the Great Sea, was in a state of disarray, which was to be expected when there were only three viable crew members and an unsung hero to keep the large ship functioning. Just because they managed to get the vessel moving didn't mean that the crew could relax. If the Great Sea were a normal ocean, the main causes for concern would be a possible shark attack or inclement weather. Since it was not, and never had been, an average sea, those that chose to brave its rolling fields of endless blue were not only susceptible to spontaneous storms, but they also risked being ambushed by sea monsters, misguided by cyclones, and even struck by cannon fire from hostile ships operated, it is rumored, by evil entities.

At the moment, everything was quiet, or as quiet as it could get on a pirate ship, but the relative peacefulness was most likely attributed to the fact that four of the crew members were not present. While the others may have been stressed due to their current situation, Kid was just happy to be back in a world he knew. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed its small population, briny sea, and familiar faces. That wasn't to say that he wasn't concerned for his sister or friends whose whereabouts were still unknown, but he was content, for the moment, to be absorbed in the task he'd been given with the natural sounds of the sea to invigorate him.

While they'd been absent, the ship hadn't been in use and, as a result, the pirates had rigged the sail in a more appropriate manner warranted for an extended duration of time at port which meant that all of the running rigging had been dismantled. Now that they were sailing, it was anything but convenient since furling and unfurling the sail would require at least two individuals to climb the thick netting to either side of the ship and either tie or untie countless ropes. Because of this unnecessary hassle, Tetra had assigned him and Niko to the task of adjusting the rigging so it worked like it normally did when they were at sea.

So, while Tetra steered the ship clear of any obstacles or over large swells, not that there were many in this part of the ocean, and Zuko gazed out to sea with a purpose up in the crow's nest, Kid, with some minimal help from his fellow swabbie, was securing lines and loosening others in order to achieve the system of pulleys that the muscle of the ship normally operated.

"You do know what you're doing, right?" Niko asked as Kid finished tying the final knot.

"Let's find out," Kid invited, motioning for Niko to start climbing down. After reaching the deck, they both took hold of the main sheet and pulled, intending to raise the sail. They barely managed to raise it a fraction of an inch before the knots Kid had worked so diligently to tie unraveled and the two of them found themselves falling back hard onto the wooden deck.

"I guess this is why we're swabbies, eh?" Niko grinned, nudging him with an elbow.

"That took an hour," Kid breathed in disbelief, viewing the mess of ropes and lines dejectedly from his seat on the ground. He couldn't help but feel disappointed in his failed handy work. After sailing around the sea on his own, he'd been proud to say that he'd taught himself how to operate a sailboat. Apparently, his self-teaching skills only went so far.

"You guys better get that set up!" Tetra called over to them bossily from her spot at the helm, "If the wind gets any stronger we'll need to adjust the sail."

"Or I could adjust the wind," Kid suggested, as he picked himself up from the floor.

"That's not going to work every time," Tetra objected, "Get up there and try it again. It can't be that hard if you use the right knots."

"I don't know the right knots," Kid admitted as he began to climb the rigging once again with Niko close behind.

"Just put something together!" Tetra ordered, "Whatever you set up only has to work until the others are able to function properly and correct it."

At this point, Kid didn't know how well he could make a temporary sheet that functioned as it was supposed to. However, he was determined to try. After all, there was still a lot that had to be done. Their missing companions had to be tracked down first, and then there was the search for Medli, Makar, and Aryll whose exact locations were still an enigma. Not to mention that Ghirahim was here somewhere and needed to be dealt with before he had a chance to destroy anything, if he hadn't already done so. From what Kid had seen so far, everything was normal. It wouldn't stay that way as long as the demon lord lived.

Unfortunately, nothing could be done until the ship's sail was in order, so Kid spent the next half hour attempting to learn from his past mistakes with only his memory and Niko's input to aid him.

"Think it'll work this time?" Niko wondered as he climbed down to the deck.

"I have no idea," Kid replied inching down after Niko was out of the way. He wanted it to work, but that didn't necessarily mean that it would.

Stepping over the railing in order to reach the deck, Kid was startled when something tapped against his foot. Looking down, he determined the culprit to be an irregularly shaped glass bottle.

He'd never expected to find one. After the middle-aged man that was, for some inexplicable reason, obsessed with fairies, known as Tingle, presented him with what he'd so very originally dubbed the "Tingle Bottle," Kid had instantly tried it out to see if he really could send a message to someone, be it a fairy or some other celestial being. He'd never received a reply and after so long he'd stopped expecting one. Now here was a Tingle Bottle teetering on the edge of the railing just waiting for him to accept it.

Careful to not jar the green-tinted bottle, lest he disturb its precarious balancing act and send it tumbling into the ocean below, Kid knelt down and grabbed the object by its neck. Hopping off of the railing and onto the deck where there was less of a chance of him falling overboard, Kid uncorked the bottle eagerly.

"What's that?" Niko wondered, abandoning his position below the sail and wandering over to get a glimpse at Kid's recent discovery.

"It's a Tingle Bottle. There's a message inside it," Kid informed Niko, inverting the bottle and holding out his free hand to catch the rolled up parchment that fell out.

"Who's it from?" Niko came closer, moving so he would be effectively blocking Tetra's view from what they were doing. If she caught them slacking off, especially now, they were in for it.

Kid shrugged as he unrolled the scroll and swept his eyes over the writing. It took another few seconds for him to recognize the letters. He couldn't read it, and yet it conveyed much more to him than any words, written or otherwise, ever could. Sprinting across the deck and up the steps to the helm, Kid managed to startle the resilient pirate girl when he held up the paper suddenly just inches from her face.

"Hey! No distracting the driver!" Tetra yelled, batting away the piece of paper in a huff. "You're supposed to be fixing the-"

"I know, but look," Kid interrupted her, unable to suppress his excitement. Begrudgingly, the pirate captain snatched the paper out of his hand, keeping a hand on the wheel, and skimmed it.

"I can't read this," Tetra stated, annoyed. Kid waited for her to realize what he had. It only took a moment. Her head snapped up so fast that he briefly contemplated if she'd hurt herself. "Where did you get this?" Kid held up the Tingle Bottle as an explanation.

"What is that?" Tetra wondered, puzzled as she examined the object.

"Something that Tingle crafted himself," Kid supplied.

"Well, I could have guessed that." Tetra rolled her eyes. "I meant, what's it do?"

"It's supposed to send messages to people or something, but the one he gave me never worked," Kid explained.

"So if you can only get these things," Tetra poked the bottle in disgust, "from Tingle then whoever sent this, had to have met him. Where's Tingle normally? On his island?"

"He should be," Kid verified.

"Alright then, I guess we're going to Tingle Island," Tetra sighed, handing him their priceless clue and placing both hands on the wheel.

"Which one of them do you think it is?" Kid asked her.

"If we're lucky, they'll both be there," Tetra said, scanning the horizon in order to discern their location so she could plan out a route to Tingle Island. If memory served, Kid didn't think it was far.

"What's going on?" Niko wanted to know.

"We think we know where at least one of our counterparts are," Kid answered, "so we're going to Tingle Island."

"We're not dropping anchor unless we're positive one of them is there," Tetra corrected him, "I don't like that island."

"Not liking the people that inhabit the island is different from not liking the island itself," Kid pointed out.

"I know," Tetra replied, "In this case, I don't like either one."

"I feel sorry for whoever's there," Niko commented which urged them to all nod in mutual agreement.

If one were to remain on a single island for their entire life, they'd most likely never hear of Tingle. However, every seafarer, pirate, fisherman, or treasure-hunter, at one point, learned of the fairy-obsessed man. Almost everyone had a different story to tell about the guy, and none of them were good. Tingle himself, didn't seem to acknowledge his lack of popularity, which, in turn, made him less popular. Despite the fact that Tingle had deciphered Triforce charts for him, Kid didn't like the man more than anyone else. Of course, if it wasn't for Tingle, Kid would never have been able to obtain all the pieces of the Triforce of Courage. This fact would cause him to feel indebted to the guy  _if_  it wasn't for the small detail that each chart cost over three hundred rupees to have deciphered. It was, in a word, criminal.

"Don't you two have something you're supposed to be doing?" Tetra wondered nonchalantly as the two of them lingered at the helm. Kid recognized the hint, as did Niko, and the two of them were abruptly animated, running back to the middle of the deck to pick up where they'd left off on their work so as not to be subject to Tetra's wrath.

Gathering up the line, Kid and Niko pulled hard only for nothing to happen.

"At least it held this time," Niko observed, peering up at the mast decorated with the mess of ropes and lines they'd created.

"But why doesn't it work?" Kid pondered, his eyes finding the hodgepodge of ropes above and surveying them for a possible explanation. After climbing back up to the lower part of the sail using the rigging, he still couldn't discover the faulty line, but his stubborn determination wouldn't let him throw in the towel.

So absorbed in his task as he was, Kid didn't realize how much time had passed until the light he'd been working so diligently by all afternoon began to fade into a warm shade of gold and mauve, dying the water below a rich peach color.

Taking a quick survey of the area, he found that he could distinguish their destination, a tall, black silhouette in the distance. Having been quite close to the tower before, Kid knew that carved into its vertical mass were monsters and fairies alike, topped off by a carving of Tingle's head. The latter was more apparent as they drew closer, and the mini cyclones that dutifully surrounded the small isle became visible hazards.

Immediately, Kid's eyes went to the sunset-dyed water below as he recalled his past visits to the odd island. Visits, he was sure to note, that had been made alone in a red sailboat. Of course, it was arguable as to if he'd truly been alone or not since his boat had, at the time, possessed the capability of speech. Nevertheless, Kid distinctly remembered how, much to his chagrin, Gyorgs had targeted him every time he approached Tingle Island. From what he could see, there weren't any purple fins slicing though the water, and he hoped it stayed that way. Not that he couldn't take care of it on his own, in fact it was normally his job on Tetra's ship since he could ready and fire long range weapons faster than her crew, but stopping at the island was going to be tricky enough without being preyed on due to their situation with the sail.

"Oi, swabbie!" Niko called up to Kid from his position on the deck, "Tie off that last line right there, and let's see if it works!" Kid turned his attention to his shipmate and provided a nod as proof of his comprehension. After he found the indicated line, Kid tied it off as instructed by Niko, and then carefully climbed down. For what must have been the fifth time since they'd started this project, both of them grabbed the line and pulled. To their astonishment, it worked. Another strong heave and the sail was completely furled.

"Great, you got it." Tetra said, her tone unimpressed, "Now put it down so we can get to the island." Kid and Niko hurried over to the line that they fashioned to unfurl the sail and tugged. They were instantly met with resistance and naturally pulled harder. Their efforts were in vain, for the line was immovable.

"Uh oh," Niko uttered as he gave one last experimental tug.

"Don't tell me it's stuck," Tetra sighed in irritation as she descended the steps and made her way across the deck.

"It's not working," Kid informed her as she pushed him out of the way and tried it herself. When that failed, she stepped back to assess the furled sail, and Kid and Niko did likewise. Many of the lines were tangled, so Kid deduced that it must be the cause. However, when he proposed the explanation, Tetra shook her head in disagreement. She pointed out the way the ropes were tied together and how it was locking the line that was supposed to release the sail. Regardless of which diagnosis was correct, it would take quite a while to fix.

"Zuko, do you see any extra people on the island?" Tetra yelled up to the pirate in the crow's nest.

"Hard to tell this far away," Zuko replied, "I can't make out much more than silhouettes on the tower."

"So what are we going to do?" Kid wondered, breaking the silence that had claimed the air.

"We?" Tetra gave a small laugh and turned to him. All faux humor wiped off her face in an instant. "This is all on you."

He opened his mouth but no words came. What was he supposed to do? Protest? Retort? Apologize? None of those options seemed appropriate for the situation.

When he didn't say anything and no effort was made by Niko to defend him, Tetra continued, placing a hand on her hip in her usual haughty manner, "You know what that means, don't you?"

"Uh…double duty?" Kid guessed.

"No!" Tetra exclaimed as if the very idea was bred of pure idiocy, "It means you're going to use your boat to go scope out that island yourself!"

Kid paled. "I'd rather be sentenced to double duty."

"Well, that's just too bad," Tetra replied, without a hint of sympathy in her voice as she crossed her arms over her chest. "That's the punishment I'm giving you, and I'm not willing to reconsider it, so get your boat from the cargo hold and go."

Personally, Kid didn't think he deserved a reprimanding of any kind since it was Tetra that had assigned him to a task he didn't actually know how to complete successfully. The past few hours had been filled with agonizing trial and error that produced little reward. However, he knew Tetra well enough by now that arguing with her wasn't going to do anything but get him more undeserved punishments, so he complied and headed below decks to the cargo hold.

Niko followed him, nervously at first, but then more confidently when Tetra didn't say anything against his actions.

"I'd almost forgotten how scary she can be," Niko remarked once they were both safely within the hull of the ship and walking to the cargo hold where Tetra couldn't hear them.

"She's not scary, Niko," Kid disagreed, "She's just…" He trailed off, realizing he couldn't describe her in a single word. She was demanding, strict, short-tempered, impulsive, fiery, and defiant, but beneath it all she was nice and caring too. To sum it up, she was Tetra, and Kid would bet every material thing he owned that there wasn't another person out there like her.

"She's definitely unfair though," Niko pointed out, descending the steps behind him, "You can't argue with me on that one. I mean, you were just following her orders."

"Yeah, but if I told her that she'd probably strand me on that island," Kid said, as they strolled through the mess hall.

"Good point." Niko fell quiet for a few seconds before speaking up again, keeping his voice lowered as if he was afraid someone would hear, "Know what we should do? We should prank her."

Kid stopped walking and turned to his fellow swabbie, raising an eyebrow in question, "Since when are you trying to find ways to die? And why include me in them?"

"No, no. Listen, I have a vision," Niko responded, completely serious as he spanned his hand out in front of him to paint a mirage of his plan in the air.

Kid laughed and began walking again, shaking his head. Niko was crazy sometimes with his ideas. The last time he'd agreed to do a prank with him, Gonzo threw them both overboard which wouldn't have been too bad if they hadn't been in the middle of a thunderstorm. They were both lucky that they didn't get sick from the incident, and it was after that he decided to stop being Niko's partner in crime. After all, they were already the bottom rung on the pirate ladder, why push what little luck they had and end up broken on the floor?

As Niko rattled off his vision for what he swore was the best prank in the world behind him, Kid opened the cargo hold and descended the ramp that led inside. Finding his boat wasn't difficult, even in the dark. Its bright red hue hadn't faded anymore since the king of Hyrule's spirit deserted it.

"Hey, Niko, I'm having a vision too," Kid called over his shoulder to the pirate that was lingering at the entrance.

"Really? I mean, I know. I can be very inspiring. So, what is it?" Niko wondered.

"I see you lifting the other end of this and helping me carry it above deck," Kid informed him.

"Aww, boo! Lame," Niko pouted as he came into the cargo hold and grabbed the rear of the boat, "Don't make me ashamed to have you as my underling."

"I'll make it up to you somehow, I'm sure," Kid said with a smile as they lifted the boat off the ground and began to ascend the ramp. He was taking most of the weight, but Niko wasn't complaining either. He might not have been one of the strongest pirates, but swinging from rope-to-rope was an adequate way to build up some muscle, even if the act was considered nothing but a childish game in the eyes of other crew members.

His hold on the worn wood of the boat was firm, but even with the power bracelets a break or two was necessary before they managed to emerge into the waning daylight.

"Are we just dropping this over the side?" Niko wondered as they neared the portside railing.

"Pretty much. Unless you want to go through all the work of finding ropes and then tying them to the boat so we can lower it into the water," Kid replied. Personally, he'd had enough of ropes today.

"Dropping it into the water it is!" Niko proclaimed enthusiastically, apparently sharing the same enmity towards ropes. Unsteadily, the two of them lifted the boat over the side of the pirate ship and released it. A large slap sounded as the small vessel struck the waves and rocked wildly from the force of the impact. Niko found the ladder and held it as steady as possible while Kid climbed down. By the time he had reached the sailboat, it had settled on the water, gently swaying in the waves which had adapted an orange-gold hue since the last time he'd checked.

Kid lifted a latch in the floor and pulled open what he defined as his cargo hold. There used to be many items nestled inside, but ever since his adventures with the King of Red Lions ceased, he didn't have much use for it. Only the sail and his bait bag remained. The rest was empty space occupied only by dust and air, much like the spirit that had once inhabited the well-sculpted boat.

To keep his mind from dwelling on the past, he reached inside and chose the light pink satchel with its forlorn pig face punctuated in purple. Opening the bag, Kid peered inside, curious. Crumbs of all purpose bait dotted the bottom of the first pouch he inspected, but they were so miniscule he doubted that a fishman, or even a rat, would accept them. The other pouches held similar sights, remnants of what was once stored there. Then he came to one of the final compartments and discovered a Hyoi Pear.

When he gently removed it from the bag, he expected it to be rotting and soft in his hand. However, the petrified, ghostly face of hollowed out ovals was sharp, not drooping. The fruit was, by some miracle or magic, fresh. Its golden, brown-speckled skin was smooth and firm, pulled taut over the curves and imperfections of the pear's pale flesh.

Could the fruit really be preserved after a year? In fact, where did the strange pears originate from? Beedle sold them, but he never offered much information about how he acquired his products. Maybe it didn't matter for some items, but for an item that could control seagulls, its origins seemed important. Not that anyone could make an army of seagulls or anything with the pears, or could they?

Kid shook his head to discard the weird notion, and was about to replace the fruit in the bag when an idea froze him mid-way. Why go all the way to Tingle Island, and possibly become engaged in a much undesired conversation with Tingle, if neither one of their companions were there? Sweeping his eyes over the sky, Kid identified a few seagulls flying lazily around the ship. Perfect.

Feeling inane for balancing a silently screaming pear on his head, Kid remained completely still, willing a seagull to come to him despite knowing it wouldn't make his plan work any faster. After a few more seconds of hoping no one leaned over the side of the pirate ship to ask him why he hadn't left yet, a seagull cried from behind him and honed in on the fruit atop his head. Swooping in, the gull took the Hyoi Pear from his head in a single snap of its beak, and Kid's eyes slid shut.

' _Food, food, food, food,'_ drawled the seagull's mind. Not accustomed to the glaringly simple thought processes of a seagull, it took copious amounts of Kid's will to ignore the words being shoved into his head and overpower the bird to the point where he could manipulate its 'd only done such a thing a few times before but seagulls, being fairly vacuous creatures, were easy to control.

Directing the gull's actions with simple commands from his mind to it's, Kid, from behind his closed eye-lids, could view the world from the bird's point of view which showed him a plethora of bright colors, some of which he couldn't rightly name. Once the seagull arrived at the island, Kid's attention, and therefore the seagull's, was drawn to the very top of Tingle Tower where Tingle's equally strange brothers were repairing what posed as the nose on the enlarged carving of Tingle's face.

Circling around the tower, the gull let out a screeching cry, frustrated at the lack of more food. The seagull's hunger reminded him of his own, and he had to force himself to concentrate. After all, he could always get food later.

Ignoring the seagull's ravenous thoughts to the best of his ability, Kid surveyed the grassy area surrounding the carved structure for any signs of Link or the princess. Sure enough, he discovered his very distraught counterpart at the base of the tower, incidentally facing in the opposite direction, so he couldn't have seen Tetra's ship in the distance. Satisfied with this newfound information, Kid opened his eyes, breaking his connection with the seagull.

Replacing the bait bag where he'd found it, Kid grabbed the sail. A minute later he had it raised and was moving through the water towards the island at a steady pace. He could have gone faster if he bothered to change the wind, but it was a fair one and those were scarce. It would be a sin to bend the breath of the goddesses to his will when it was already being cooperative.

Habit caused him to watch the waves for predators. They were due to approach anytime.  _'Three. Two. One,'_ Kid counted down in his head, looking to either side of him for a tell-tale fin protruding from the water. Nothing was there.

As he drew closer and closer to the island, his eyes were practically glued to the tangerine-colored water for any sign of the monster sharks that he'd grown to expect hunting him ever since he first neared this isle with its queer inhabitants. So intent was his mission to discern this familiar enemy, that he almost steered his boat straight into a mini cyclone.

Noticing his folly at the last possible second, Kid grasped the tiller in his right hand and jerked it roughly to the left, just barely managing to avoid getting caught. Releasing a breath of relief as he watched the whirlwind skate across the surface of the water, Kid focused his attention ahead, resigning to the fact that his aggressive welcoming party was, for once, not coming.

A couple minutes later, Kid was pulling up alongside the island and lowering the sail, trying to be as quiet as possible. His secretiveness may have been unneeded with all the hammering and occasional yelling going on up above as the men attempted to repair the tower that served as their home. However, if there was anything he'd learned about his counterpart, it was that he possessed exceptional hearing. Everything one thought he couldn't hear, he most certainly could, which was why if Kid managed to surprise him, it'd be just as much of a surprise to  _him_.

Clambering out of the boat, he pulled it up to shore just enough to ensure it wouldn't be swept away by the current for the brief time he was away. Treading carefully and paying extra attention to where he was stepping, Kid slowly inched toward the tower, conscious of the fact that Link was on the other side.

Silently, Kid stole around the large, carved column and was pressured by a force he couldn't explain. Maybe Niko's questionable leadership was already rubbing off on him or maybe his lost mischievousness was finding its way back to the light. Whatever it was, it told him to do this. It told them it was good idea, and he believed it which was all the reassurance he needed in order to follow through with his plan.

Kid slinked out from behind the protection of the meticulously crafted wood with all the stealth of a cat. With bated breath he reached out with his dominant hand to touch Link's shoulder, and that was where his plan spiraled out of control. Before he had a chance to utter a sound, Link grabbed his outstretched arm and flipped him over. His breath momentarily abandoned him, scared off by the jarring impact he'd made with the ground.

"K-Kid?!" Link exclaimed, seeming to recognize him for the first time, "Wha-what the heck are you doing? Where did you even come from?"

Kid gingerly raised himself into a sitting position, rolling his left shoulder in an attempt to work out the reinstated ache within it. "Was that really necessary?" he wondered.

"I didn't know it was you!" Link pointed out. "Why in the name of Din would you sneak up on me anyway?"

Kid shrugged in response upon realizing that he didn't even know why he'd done it. Maybe it was the fact that Link, who was normally guarded, had been so exposed and he sought to take advantage of it as a joke. Why he thought Link would see it as such after the fact, he didn't know. Perhaps it was because Kid was technically there to rescue his counterpart from the atrocity known as Tingle Island so any mischief he instigated upon fetching him was therefore willing to be overlooked. In theory anyway.

"So what's your story?" Midna inquired, materializing in the form of a wispy shadow, there but not completely.

Kid blinked, puzzled. "Huh?"

"C'mon, Link didn't hit you that hard, did he?" Midna giggled, her shadowy silhouette failing to hide her wide grin. "What've you been up to since we were all teleported here by that song?"

"We were looking for you guys," Kid replied, getting to his feet so he didn't have to tilt his head so far to look up at them. His arm was already hurting, he didn't need his neck cramping up too.

"We?" Link repeated.

"Tetra and I," Kid supplied.

"Tetra's here too? Is she the one that made you sneak up on me?" Link guessed.

"Heh. No, that was all me," Kid admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ooh, so you have more of a mischievous side than I thought," Midna remarked, tapping her chin in a contemplative fashion. Not knowing how to respond, he chose to say nothing.

"Wait a minute. You were in my shadow." Link turned to Midna, accusation in his eyes, "You saw him and didn't warn me!"

"You knew he was there," Midna reminded him.

"No, I knew  _someone_  was there. I didn't know it was him," Link corrected her.

"What does it matter?" Midna wanted to know.

"It matters because I wouldn't have flipped him!" Link exclaimed.

Before Midna could retaliate, Kid interjected, "Hey, it's fine. I kinda deserved it anyway."

"Hmm…maybe you don't have this whole being mischievous thing down." Midna frowned, studying him.

"Anyway, how did you find us?" Link changed the subject before Midna could offer Kid any questionable advice.

"I got the Tingle Bottle you sent," Kid informed him.

"What? No way. That thing worked?!" Link's eyes widened in astonishment.

To answer, Kid removed the object from his pocket and held it out for Link to take. Without need of urging, his counterpart accepted the bottle and uncorked it, allowing the message inside to slip out into his awaiting hand.

"This is it," Link breathed, incredulous.

"I didn't understand what you wrote, but I figured that you'd probably met Tingle judging by the bottle," Kid explained, positioning himself next to Link so he could view the note as well.

"It says, 'help me' which was originally meant as a joke but after a few hours it ended up being true," Link informed him as he rolled up the paper and tucked it back into the bottle which he then handed back to Kid.

"Good thing I'm here then." Kid grinned. "I have a boat."

"I thought Tetra was the one with the boat," Link replied.

"She's the one with the pirate ship. I still have the boat that I used on my first adventure." Kid swiveled around on his heel and motioned for his friends to follow.

"So why did you come here with your boat if Tetra has a bigger ship?" Link wondered as he trailed a few steps behind.

"Well, there's an issue with the sail. It's not working the way it should," Kid answered, nudging his sail boat into the water and climbing aboard.

"What's wrong with it?" Link pressed which encouraged Kid to relay the entire tale, so, as he prepared his own boat for departure, he summarized the list of the pirates' activities while their captain had been absent. This explanation led Kid into detailing his own experience with waking up on Tetra's ship and being locked in the treasury. By the time he was done, the sail was up and waiting for the wind to invigorate it.

"You can get in now," Kid said, waving his counterpart, who had been lingering by the shore attentively listening to his riveting tale, closer to the boat.

"Are you sure we're both going to fit?" Link wondered, stepping closer but still hesitating to climb aboard.

"Yeah, just pick a spot and sit down," Kid responded, his hand on the tiller waiting for Link to get in before he readjusted the boat's position. He watched his counterpart step into the boat uncertainly and sit down as soon as possible when the small watercraft rocked as a result. Midna claimed a seat atop the boat's crafted head, directly between the curved yellow horns.

"Is this the talking boat?" Midna queried as Kid moved the craft so the wind caught the sail and pushed them forward.

"It was…" Kid trailed off, unwilling to expound on the sensitive topic. It was unclear if Midna understood this or not, for her attention was diverted to the stationary vessel in the distance, but he couldn't tell whether this sudden change of objects of interest was intentional on her part or not.

"Hmm…that's a really big ship," Midna commented as she scrutinized it as best as she could from this distance.

"It's not as big as some," Kid stated truthfully.

"Are those things going to be a problem if we run into one?" Link wondered, anxiously eyeing the cyclones steadily growing bigger as they glided through the water.

"We won't run into one. I know how to steer," Kid replied, a little insulted. Did his counterpart really think that he didn't know what he was doing? Granted, he hadn't been doing it for long, and he'd had the wise advice of an ancient king to direct him before, but he'd bought and raised the sail himself, steering clear of danger when possible and fighting it head on when it hadn't been.

"I think you just damaged his pride with that question, Link," Midna observed.

"Sorry. I'm just paranoid. I haven't had the best luck today," Link confided with a sigh.

"I get it," Kid assured him, "You were just unlucky enough to meet the weirdest people first. Believe me, they're not all like Tingle and his brothers."

"It wasn't just them," Link objected, "It was that fishman and those strange little monsters with the pitchforks."

"Uh, I think it's your turn to explain what you've gone through since you got here," Kid announced. Link agreed and launched into his tale of misfortune as Kid's eyes and reflexes paid attention to the ocean laid out before him while his ears listened with rapt attention to the story he was being told. Kid struggled to maintain a sympathetic expression as his friend detailed his misadventures, but it was difficult to refrain from cracking a smile or two. He assured Link that the fishman would not transform into a lethal sea creature as a result of his feeding it in excessive quantities and that the Miniblins were quite normal to encounter at Star Island. The storm that was rumored to have damaged Tingle Tower, however, was another matter.

It was true that the Great Sea was a hot spot for storms of unmatchable scale and ferocity but the worst of them had been unleashed by Cyclos, when he was still bitter over his shrine being smashed by a falling rock. Kid supposed the wind God's good mood wouldn't ensure fair winds forever since his specialty was storms and they were just as important as a cooperative breeze on the ocean. Maybe Tingle and his brothers did something especially bad to tick him off? It wouldn't be the first time, after all.

"Well, it's about time for me to disappear back into the shadows," Midna proclaimed as they neared the pirate ship.

"Huh? Why?" Kid asked, puzzled.

"For one, Twili don't even exist in your universe. For another, light-dwellers generally don't take too kindly to beings of shadow. I'm better off out of sight, but don't worry. I'll be watching. See ya later!" Midna hopped off of the crafted dragon head and melted into Link's shadow, apparently not willing to discuss it any further. Kid wished she wouldn't hide from everyone else. How was anyone supposed to learn to accept her if she never gave them the chance?

Choosing to say nothing for the time being, he let go off the tiller and moved toward the sail so he could lower it.

"Should I move?" Link wondered as Kid slipped by him with a bit of difficulty to reach the sail.

"Nah. You're fine where you are. Just watch your head in case this swings," Kid replied, his eyes on his work. The sail was down and stowed away in its rightful place in a matter of seconds, allowing the sailboat to coast to a gentle stop beside the immobile pirate ship.

They turned their eyes on the wooden vessel towering above them. From this angle, it was impossible to see much more than the railing. Glancing at Link, he noticed the small spark of fascination, or was that envy, in his sharp blue eyes. It sent Kid a small sense of pride, although he didn't understand why. It wasn't like he owned the ship. Tetra did. Speaking of Tetra, where was she? Maybe none of the pirates noticed them pulling up alongside the ship. Surely Zuko would have noticed. Details, especially mobile ones, rarely slipped past that man's notice.

Gathering up a full supply of air in his lungs, Kid opened his mouth to alert the pirates of their presence, but there turned out to be no need. Suddenly leaning nonchalantly over the rail was Tetra, a smug expression adorning her face.

"So, trying to be discreet, are we?" Tetra said conversationally.

"What? No. Why would you think that?" Kid asked.

"Just because Zuko didn't see your boat until the last second and you didn't make any effort to let us know you were back," Tetra explained as she peered down at them.

"I was about to yell for you," Kid informed her, "You didn't give me enough time."

Tetra dismissed his excuse with a single shake of her head and turned her attention to Link. "So how are you liking the Great Sea so far? Is it everything you imagined?"

"Not really, no. It's a lot more…" Link paused for a second, delving for a word that didn't sound derogatory, "unique than I expected."

"Gee, tell me how you really feel," Tetra scoffed.

"Are you going to help us up?" Kid interjected before Link and Tetra's conversation found a way to somehow escalate into a shouting match.

"Look, we were busy trying to fix what you messed up the entire time you were gone, so you two are just gonna have to wait down there until Niko finds some ropes," Tetra declared as if the entire circumstance was solely his fault.

"Can't you at least give us the ladder so we can climb up?" Kid requested, feeling it was a reasonable enough entreaty.

"Sure, if you want to leave your precious boat there," Tetra answered.

"Never mind," Kid hastily replied, "I can wait."

He knew exactly how Tetra felt about the boat. It wasn't that she held any contempt towards the king of Hyrule, but the presence of the object his spirit had once inhabited disconcerted her even if she wasn't willing to admit it. No matter what proposition she made, Kid adamantly refused to get rid of the boat. It was a tangible memory of the King of Red Lions, unlike all of the insubstantial ones floating around his head, and he'd be consumed with guilt if he just left it somewhere. He'd left behind too many people and sacrificed too much during his adventures. The least she could do was let him keep the sailboat.

Before Tetra could respond, her attention was diverted to someone behind her and she disappeared from view, shooing away said person by the sounds of it.

"Is this going to be a case of 'my ship, my rules' with her?" Link questioned him, lowering his voice just in case Tetra's attention suddenly turned back to them. Kid solemnly nodded the affirmative. Tetra's pirate captain side was one that had never been fully revealed to his counterpart before so Kid was curious, if a bit apprehensive, to see how Link would handle it.

Reappearing with ropes in hand, Tetra made no comment as she secured one to the rail and let the other end of it fall. Kid leaned forward to catch it before it struck the water. Working with wet rope was ten times worse than working with dry.

Link caught the second rope she threw over the side and held onto it while Kid attached the first to the front of the boat. Once the ropes were properly fastened to the boat, Tetra presented them with the ladder. After affixing it to the railing, she informed them that they could pull the boat up once they were on deck and left to attend to other matters. She hadn't said anything, but Kid assumed that he'd be taking his boat back to the cargo hold as well.

He started up the ladder, adjusting to the unstableness of it immediately. Compared to climbing up ropes, in which one had to rely solely on their upper body strength, this was a breeze. Upon reaching the top, Kid hurdled the railing and then leaned over the side to wait for his counterpart.

Stifling a laugh, Kid called down to Link, "Have you ever climbed a rope before?"

"No," came the honest reply. And it was honest. His struggles with getting up two rungs was evidence enough of the nature of his response. "How did you do it so easily?"

"Experience?" Kid suggested.

"Okay, Mr. Experienced. Any helpful tips?" Link wanted to know.

"Dig your heels into each rung," he instructed, "that'll make it easier to keep your balance, and don't try to do it fast. That'll just make you slower."

Kid watched as Link attempted the obstacle once again, this time equipped with his advice. While his counterpart couldn't match his prowess with scaling the unstable ladder, he did manage to climb it in the span of a couple minutes which was impressive considering he'd never been presented with this particular challenge before.

"Finally!" Tetra's voice startled them both when Link finally made it over the railing and onto the deck. "You were taking forever."

"Are you forgetting that I don't climb ropes for a living?" Link quirked an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Of course not," Tetra huffed, rolling her eyes, "I just expected Kid to help you."

"I did," Kid informed her, untying one of the ropes and looping it firmly around his right hand as he turned to work on the other. "Sort of," he muttered under his breath as an afterthought.

"Whatever" Tetra then returned her attention to Link. "I wanted to talk to you about the others. I'm guessing Midna is in your shadow."

"Yeah, she's there and Fi's here too," Link confirmed, taking hold of the second rope once Kid had it untied and helping him haul the sailboat up.

"Right, well, we don't know where Zelda is and I've already tried tracking her with my Triforce piece, so I'm open to any suggestions you might have," Tetra stated, watching them work with a critical eye.

"I don't know exactly where she is," Link said, grabbing onto the boat once it was close enough and helping Kid lift it over the side before continuing, "but we can find out."

"How?" Tetra demanded.

Link put a hand on the hilt of the Master Sword sheathed on his back. "Using Fi's dowsing ability we can find her."

"She can track people?" Kid wondered. He vaguely recalled dowsing. They'd only used it once and at the time he hadn't paid much attention to it. Come to think of it, what made something dowse-able? Could they search for fairies too? Rupees even?

"Apparently she's taken note of our auras," Link replied, "so we're able to search for whoever we need to."

"Great. Why don't-" Tetra's words were cut off as the ship lurched. Kid stumbled as the floorboards suddenly became mobile. He managed to keep his footing, but just barely.

Looking up, he saw that Link was gripping the railing hard, relying on it to keep himself upright. He turned to see if Tetra had fallen or not but was met with nothing except empty air in the place she'd last been.

Before a full thought could form about what could have possibly happened to her, the pirate girl's voice rang out loud and irritated from the helm.

"Idiots! You could have warned me!" Tetra shouted up to Niko and, to a lesser extent, Zuko, who had been working on the sail. Any apologies must have been mumbled and stolen by the wind, for Kid didn't hear a single one from the pirates up above.

"How'd she get over there so fast?" Link wondered, jealousy creeping into his tone.

"She's lived on a ship her entire life. It'll take more than a little movement under her feet to slow her down," Kid pointed out.

"Oi!" she called to them, "Get over here! I'm not going to shout an entire conversation across the ship!"

Kid moved towards Tetra, but stopped when he noticed that his counterpart wasn't following.

"Is walking going to be a problem for me?" Link questioned him.

"It shouldn't be right now. The seas aren't very rough and we're moving normally," Kid replied, "Try it."

With a bit of reluctance, Link released his hold on the railing and took an experimental step forward. After this small success he took another and another until he fell into step beside Kid.

"Not bad, right?" Kid wondered.

"No," Link said thoughtfully, "It's just not completely normal. I'm not used to the floor moving while I'm moving." Kid almost laughed aloud but restrained himself. If Link thought this was movement, wait until he stepped below decks. The ship's motion was much more noticeable there. He didn't feel obligated to voice this. Link would figure it out eventually.

"Have you learned how to walk again?" Tetra mocked Link when the two of them finally joined her at the helm.

"I know how to walk," Link responded curtly.

"Right, that explains why I can do this." Tetra then promptly took one of her hands off the wheel and shoved Link back. He was immediately knocked off balance and fell onto the deck with a thump which caused Kid to involuntarily wince. Just what they needed to start off their reunion. A fight.

Link scowled at her as he picked himself up. "And what does that prove?" he challenged her.

"It proves that you don't know how to balance yourself on a moving vessel by compensating for what's not there with your own weight," Tetra proclaimed, her eyes on the ocean ahead rather than Link.

"So?"

"So, you better learn. Otherwise, you're going to be falling," Tetra shot him a knowing look, "A lot."

"And who's supposed to teach me?" Link inquired sarcastically.

"Teach yourself. You have a brain in that head of yours, don't you? Might wanna try using it before it stops working completely," Tetra countered, smirking.

"Weren't we supposed to be talking about finding Zelda?" Kid interrupted them.

"Oh, right," Tetra recalled her earlier thought. "Why don't you start dowsing for the princess? The sooner we find her, the sooner we can move on with our lives."

Tight lipped and most likely holding back a rebuttal, Link drew the Master Sword from its sheath and held it out. Kid watched the blade pulse with a faint lavender light that steadily grew stronger as Link moved it to the left. When the blade grew duller, his counterpart adjusted it until it shone the brightest, which, all things considered, wasn't very bright.

"She's that wa- huh?" Link lowered the sword when the light dimmed unexpectedly. Pointing the sword at the same spot didn't bring out the same reaction. When the sword was brought over to the left slightly, it lit up in recognition of Zelda's aura. However, the light drained out of the sword a few seconds later. Link attempted to move with it, directing the blade to where he guessed the aura had relocated to.

"So, she's moving," Tetra observed.

"Does that mean she's on an island then?" Link wondered.

"Last time I checked, islands don't move," Tetra responded with a wry smile, "Someone must have picked her up. The question is: who?"

"Hopefully not pirates," Link commented.

"You  _do_ know where you're standing right now, and with who?" Tetra checked.

"Yeah, but this is different. I know you," Link argued, "which means you won't make me walk the plank."

Tetra shot Link a withering look that he barely seemed to notice. "Seriously?"

"What'd I say?" Link wanted to know, oblivious to what had insulted her.

"Walk the plank?" Tetra rolled her eyes. "Where the heck did you hear that nonsense?"

"Uh…bedtime stories?" Link replied as if he was unsure of the answer himself.

"It'd do to keep your bedtime story presumptions about pirates to yourself," Tetra advised him. "Otherwise, I might just have to prepare a plank for you to walk."

"Noted." Link nodded in acknowledgment. "But do you think Zelda could have been picked up by a different group of pirates?"

"It's unlikely," Tetra admitted, "There aren't many pirate groups anymore. Most of them disbanded or just disappeared. Of course, there's nothing to stop more pirate groups from forming, but even if they did I don't think they'd be much of a threat to our Hylian princess."

"She could be with Beedle. Or the Salvage Corp," Kid suggested.

"What's the Salvage Corp?" Link asked, his tone hinting that he guessed it wasn't an organization anyone would be fortunate to encounter.

"They're treasure-hunters," Kid explained, "I've talked to them enough to know that they're friendly."

"The only other possibility would be a fisherman or sailor. In which case they'd probably be heading for Windfall, but since we don't know who it is, I say we should just follow them as best as we can," Tetra proposed. "Give me a general direction, Link."

"That way," Link proclaimed once he'd managed to momentarily match up the sword with the princess's aura. Tetra whipped out a compass and briefly consulted it before tossing it to Kid. Not expecting this, he nearly fumbled the catch.

"I want a westerly wind. Make it happen," Tetra ordered. He contemplated requesting a "please" but felt his earlier joke foretold what would happen to him if he chose to tease her.

Kid produced the Wind Waker from his belongings and glanced at the compass to confirm his directions. Once he was positive he knew exactly which direction was which, Kid handed the compass back to Tetra and switched the white baton to his left hand. Positioning his right hand to the beat of 3/4 time, Kid waited, discreetly circling the baton, as the wind hushed to the point where it was almost completely still. The whoosh of the ocean and cries of the gulls overhead faded into the background, and he suddenly found himself surrounded by a pregnant pause. The wind was holding its breath, expectant.

Sparks flew off the tip of the baton, punctuated by a ring of gold every now and then. Once he had grown accustomed to the rhythm, Kid began to conduct the Wind's Requiem. Up and the invisible orchestra stuck a high chord. He melted into the feel of the music, closing his eyes and relying on muscle memory to take him through the rest of the motions.

A sweep to the right and the voices of the choir deepened to a slightly lower tone without losing their volume. The final sway of the baton took the wind's music to a sweet resolution that fell somewhere between the first and second notes. No one but Kid could recognize it as an inquiry for the wind didn't use words to communicate. It exercised tone and its current one was asking him simply,  _"Which way?"_

" _East, please,"_  Kid answered, using a version of his inner voice that only the wind could understand as he opened his eyes. He'd learned that the wind favored politeness and often behaved better when spoken to as a person of high status. Kid clamped a hand to his head to ensure his hat wouldn't be snatched by the wind that breezed past, humming the rest of the melody as it did so. Link got this memo a little late but still managed to retain his composure, and most importantly, his own hat as the wind redirected itself.

"So it's blowing to the west now?" Link speculated.

"No, it's blowing to the east," Kid corrected him.

"But she said to go west," Link pointed out, motioning to Tetra.

"I did not. I said  _westerly_ ," Tetra said, stressing the word as if it would help Link understand.

"What's the difference?" Link wondered, puzzled.

"Westerly means the wind is coming from the west and blowing to the east," Kid supplied.

"Isn't it easier to just say east then?" Link queried.

"If you're you, yes. If you're a pirate, or sailor, there's specific terminology we use. I don't expect you to understand it," Tetra sighed, turning the wheel slightly to port.

"Okay, but shouldn't you be turning the ship so-" Tetra cut Link off before he could finish.

"Shut up! I know what I'm doing. You think I don't know how to steer a ship when I've lived on one my entire life?!" Tetra exclaimed in exasperation, "Why don't you make yourself useful? Give the sword to Kid. He'll be my navigator."

"I thought I was being useful by doing just that," Link protested.

"No, you're being a nuisance," Tetra informed him, "And I know just how to fix that." The pirate girl, took a breath before yelling, "Niko! Get down here!"

Niko, who had previously been talking Zuko's ear off in the crow's nest, swiftly descended the ladder to the deck and lingered at the top step that led to the helm. His gaze settled on Tetra, but Kid noticed the furtive glances he snuck Link's way.

"This is your new swabbie," Tetra announced, nodding to Link so she didn't have to remove her hands from the wheel, "His name's Link but feel free to call him whatever you want."

"Hey!" Link's protest went ignored and Tetra continued. "Your first task is to get that boat below decks and back in the cargo hold. After that, I don't care what you do with him."

"Alright!" Niko proclaimed, his eyes lighting up in excitement. Suddenly less shy, he closed the gap between him and Link, holding out a hand for Link to take. "Hi! I'm Niko, your superior."

"Hi," Link returned the greeting cautiously, taking Niko's offered hand. Introductions over, Niko turned and hopped down to the main deck, heading for the King of Red Lions resting by the railing. Link handed over the Master Sword to Kid before reluctantly trailing behind the buck-toothed pirate.

"Was that a wise decision?" Kid questioned his best friend as he watched Link and Niko lift the boat.

"It got him to shut his mouth. That's good enough for me. Besides, Niko's as good a place as any to start introducing him to my crew. Out of them all, he's the closest to Link's age," Tetra pointed out.

"How old is Niko?" Kid inquired, feeling a bit embarrassed for not knowing. In fact, he didn't know the ages of any of the pirates except Tetra. For some reason, the topic had never come up in the time he'd been living with them.

"He's eighteen if you can believe it," Tetra replied as she carefully turned the wheel. Kid didn't believe it, and yet he accepted it as a fact since Tetra had no reason to lie about the ages of her crew. Kid knew size wasn't an accurate judgement of age, but maturity should have been. It was no wonder that he'd never guessed Niko's age correctly before since he certainly didn't act it. If he took the time to think about it, Link didn't act his age either. Sure, he had maturity on his side, but sometimes he seemed to possess a bit too much for a seventeen year old. Then again, Kid knew he didn't act his age, and Tetra certainly didn't act hers, but he supposed that was simply the fault of fate.

Kid snapped to attention when Tetra called his name and requested a report on Zelda's current location. Hoping the dowsing ability would work the same for him as it had for his counterpart, Kid moved the blade around and was relieved when it became encased in purple light and throbbed in his grip.

This system went on into the night. Tetra would adjust their position and occasionally ask for updates which he would provide. Sometimes the pirate captain would keep their course exactly the same, and other times she would align it with the direction indicated by the Master Sword.

Kid didn't have to change the wind again. He almost wished that he did, just to have something else to keep himself awake with. Other than lighting the lanterns at the ship's stern, Kid didn't get a break from his tracking duty. On one occasion, he sat down, but Tetra soon forbade him from doing so when he nearly nodded off with the sacred sword held dangerously close to his chest.

Link and Niko were nowhere to be seen, and Kid presumed that his pirate friend was challenging his counterpart with the same pirate initiation test he'd given him when he'd first boarded this ship to save his sister. If that was the case, hopefully Link could profit from it, if only it meant he'd become more experienced with moving around on a moving vessel and getting the general feel of the flexibility of ropes.

The moon was a pale, luminescent crescent among the plethora of stars scattered across the dark, nearly cloudless, sky which prompted Kid to entertain himself with naming the constellations. It was a better method of staying awake than he'd anticipated. In fact, he became so infatuated with the activity that he didn't realize he was muttering the names under his breath.

"What are you mumbling about?" Tetra snapped, transforming her fatigue into anger.

"Stars," Kid responded quietly as if speaking loudly would scare the lights away.

"Stars?" Tetra repeated as if she couldn't believe anyone could be as vacuous as he was to mumble about tiny pinpoints of light in the sky.

"Well, constellations," he amended. "Do you know them?"

"Some," Tetra confided in a clipped tone.

"Which ones?" Kid inquired, curious.

"The Hero's Belt," Tetra stated in a way that suggested she'd only answered so he would stop talking.

"Which one's that?" Kid wondered searching the sky for the constellation.

"The three stars in a line," Tetra supplied.

"I thought that was called the three-star sisters," Kid replied. Sturgeon had taught both him and his sister about the constellations on a few occasions so he knew quite a few. The Hero's Belt had never come up, especially since it seemed to pertain to the Hero of Time and Outset Island was notorious for sustaining the ancient legend.

"I've heard both, but I prefer to call it the Hero's Belt because if you look close it looks like a person holding a bow and sword," Tetra explained. Kid tilted his head to the side, squinting as he attempted to trace imaginary lines between the glowing dots in the navy blue sky. He could just vaguely discern the outline of the person but failed to see either weapon.

Before he could ask Tetra to point it out for him, she requested another update and he was obligated to provide it. Once that was done, he asked, "Where's the sword supposed to be?"

"What?"

"The sword in the constellation," Kid clarified. "Where is it?"

"Do you not understand that I'm trying to make sure we don't crash into anything? How am I supposed to do that when you're distracting me?!" Tetra exclaimed in irritation.

"I'm not  _trying_  to distract you," Kid protested, "I'm just talking."

"Do me a favor and stop," Tetra huffed.

"But if I stop then there's no way I'm going to stay awake," Kid insisted. His intentions weren't to get on Tetra's bad side, but it seemed that when the young pirate girl was tired and lacking food, like he was, she didn't have any pleasantness to spare.

"Then go below decks and tell Link to take over for you," Tetra ordered, "But you'll have to come back up here anyway because if Gyorgs decide to show up while you're sleeping, guess who I'm going to make fight them off?"

"Me?" Kid humored her.

"Exactly. Now go. Quickly," Tetra said, shooing him away with a wave.

Paying close attention to where he was placing his feet, Kid descended the steps and strolled across the deck towards the door that led to the inner workings of the ship, taking his time despite Tetra's order for him to hurry.

The two torches burned in their respective corners as he entered the ship. It didn't seem that the flames ever went out. In fact, he didn't recall a time when they weren't lit. Their luminance, however, did nothing to illuminate the stairs that plunged into almost complete blackness. With no railing to cling to for support, Kid chose to keep one hand on the right hand wall as he descended, if only for reassurance. He made it to the landing without falling on his face which he regarded as a good sign. Kid decided to check the room directly in front of him first, knowing that it was the most likely place he'd find the others.

Just as he'd thought, Niko was testing Link, and it wasn't going too well if his counterpart's recent fall was anything to go by. By the look on Link' face, Kid knew he was beyond frustrated and decided to show him how it was done.

Placing the sword on the ground, Kid aligned himself with the first rope which was still swaying wildly from Link's failed attempt to reach the next. Without waiting for it to slow in its erratic pattern, Kid took a running start and jumped, grabbing onto the swinging rope.

"Oi, swabbie! You're never gonna make it before the gate closes!" Niko shouted to him from the other side where he was viewing the proceedings.

Kid ignored him and leapt to the next rope, scarcely taking the time to gauge the distance.

"How did you do that?!" Link's tone leaked jealousy from the sidelines.

Kid didn't bother with a reply as he forced the rope to stop and slid down a little, the rough fibers scraping his bare hands. Building up momentum as quickly as he could, Kid released the rope and grasped for the next. The ship's movement swung his target farther than he'd estimated it to be so he only managed to catch it with one hand.

Instantly he began to slip. Kid sucked in a breath, bringing up his other hand in an attempt to stabilize himself. To no avail, he only slipped farther and lost his grip entirely on one of the backswings.

The distance to the ground wasn't far but it still didn't feel too good landing on his back.

"You slicked the rope?!" Kid exclaimed in bewilderment as he sat up. Niko jumped down from the other side just as the gate clanged shut.

"I wanted to make it harder," Niko informed him proudly.

"Why?" Kid wondered.

"Because you could do it in two tries, so I figured he could too, and it wouldn't be any fun then," Niko explained.

"Can I clear something up?" Link interjected. "Just because he can do something well, doesn't mean I can too."

"But I thought you guys were counterparts. That means you're technically the same person, right?" Niko asked.

"No, it's a bit more complicated than that," Link admitted.

"How complicated?" Niko ventured.

"Very," Kid answered before Link had a chance to reply and prolong the already lengthy conversation. Tetra was probably already cross with him because he was taking too long to deliver the message he'd been sent down here for.

"Tetra wants you to be the navigator," Kid announced, turning to Link.

"What?!" Niko exclaimed in disappointment, "We were just starting to have fun."

"I'm not going to agree completely with that, but isn't it kind of late by now?" Link wondered.

"Yeah, that's one of the reasons we're switching. Apparently, the more tired I get, the more distracting I become to her," Kid replied.

"Look,  _I'm_  tired and it's not just from this," Link gestured to the obstacle of ropes suspended from the ceiling. "And Tetra has to be tired by now, so why don't we just stop sailing and pick up the search in the morning?"

Kid shrugged. Personally, he wasn't opposed to the idea. In fact, he supported it. However, his support didn't mean much since he wasn't the owner of the ship and had little influence over its captain and her decisions.

"Whatever the wish of the captain is the wish of the crew," Niko said as if it was a phrase he'd grown accustomed to repeating over the years, "You just gotta roll with it. If Tetra wants to keep going, we keep going."

"I understand that when there's a full crew to take shifts, but not when there's only, what, four of us?" Link argued.

"Five," Niko corrected him, "and if you feel that strongly about it, take it up with Tetra."

"I think I will. I need to go up there anyway," Link said, turning to exit the room, and Kid moved to follow him. Niko, for lack of something better to do, or quite possibly out of sheer boredom, fell into step beside him.

The three of them emerged onto the deck and were cooled slightly by the muggy night air. It was scarcely better than the closed stuffiness of the ship's interior, but at least it was more breathable.

"What took so long?" Tetra demanded when they reached the helm.

Blatantly ignoring her question, Link declared, "I think we should stop for the night."

"That's nice," Tetra stated with indifference, "but I didn't ask for your opinion. Therefore, it won't be taken into consideration. Now start tracking. We're probably not even going in the right direction anymore."

Surprisingly obedient considering his mission was to persuade Tetra to stop, Link pulled the Master Sword from its ornate sheath and began to move it around to discern the princess's aura.

"What is he doing?" Niko leaned close to Kid and kept his voice lowered. Kid knew this low volume wouldn't keep Link from hearing and decided that responding in the same hushed fashion wasn't worth it.

"He's just tracking the princess. It's something special we can do with that sword," Kid answered.

"Is it magic?" Niko wondered.

"Something like that," Kid returned, not yet willing to share Fi's existence with Niko. He barely understood Fi as it was. Explaining the ancient sword spirit to someone else would be exceedingly difficult.

"Alright. She isn't moving anymore, so I think that whatever boat she's on has to have either stopped for the night or docked at an island," Link announced, "So could we please stop? We can start again at dawn if that's what you want, but as I see it, if they're not moving, why should we?"

"Because we can catch up to them, dummy," Tetra retorted.

"We don't even know who it is. Don't you think it's a good idea to be alert when we encounter whoever it is that has her?" Link reasoned.

Tetra, to Kid's surprise, didn't reply to this in a scream or yell of determine-bred defiance. She was calm as she said simply, "Okay. Fine, we'll stop. But we're continuing as soon as the sun starts to rise. Kid, Niko, get the sail up." Kid nodded in comprehension and Niko offered a small salute as proof of his understanding before the two of them made for opposite sides of the ship.

Most of his remaining energy had been expended while swinging from rope-to-rope, so Kid's pace wasn't as swift and lively as Niko's as he scaled the rigging. It was for this reason that raising the sail was a slow process. Nevertheless, they got it done and soon the ship was still as the waves of the ocean sloshed gently around it.

"We're going to take shifts. Since there are five of us that should be enough to make it to dawn. Each of us will take an hour," Tetra announced when the two of them climbed back down to the deck. "Niko, you're up first. Then it's Zuko; then it's me; then it's Link," Tetra clarified by pointing out the taller of the two heroes, "and then it's Kid's turn. Any questions?"

Approving of their silence, Tetra continued, "Good. If there's trouble there's no sense in the person on watch running around the entire ship to locate everyone, so pick a spot on deck to sleep."

With that, Niko broke away from the group and climbed up to the crow's nest in order to attend to his duties as first watchman while the rest of them spaced themselves out accordingly on the deck. As it was already a fairly warm night, the closeness that body heat generated was very much unwanted. It wasn't hard to distance themselves from each other. After all, there were only four of them and the deck itself was rather massive.

Kid didn't even mind that he needed to sleep on the wooden deck. He'd fallen asleep in far more uncomfortable locations. Besides, the sleep that'd been tugging insistently at his eyelids for the past hour refused to be ignored any longer. As far as he was concerned, the deck was as comfortable as any bed stuffed with downy materials could be.

Almost immediately after he'd closed his eyes, he was being shaken awake. Not roughly, but enough to be noticeable.

"C'mon, Kid. Wake up. It's your turn," Link said, keeping his voice lowered so he didn't wake the others.

Groggily, Kid sat up, blinking sleep out of his eyes. Surely it couldn't be his turn already. He'd just fallen asleep, or he thought he had. That counted too, right?

"If you're too tired I could take your shift," Link offered. "Tetra wouldn't have to know."

Kid shook his head, grateful for the offer but unwilling to take it. Even if they didn't tell her, Tetra would find a way to come across the knowledge, and then they'd both be in trouble.

"I'll wake up more in a few minutes," Kid assured his counterpart as he got to his feet and moved toward the ladder that led to the crow's nest. Scaling the ladder rung by rung, hand over hand, did nothing to disperse his weariness, and Kid began to contemplate if his earlier reassurance had really been a false hope directed to himself.

The wind was more noticeable from the crow's nest. Kid thought it a shame that it wasn't a cool wind. It was more of a heavy sigh from the goddesses, relaxed and warm, tempting him towards sleep. He resisted the urge to lean on what served as a rail in favor of staying awake and instead, stayed on his feet backed up against the column that ran through the middle and supported the black flag above with its iconic image of a white skull and cross-bones.

The hour crawled by to the point where Kid began to wonder if he'd been watching the surrounding ocean for a far longer period of time. By now he'd committed to memory the motion of the slate grey waves, the island just off the starboard bow, which he determined to be Northern Triangle Island due to its glowing red statue, and the seagulls searching in vain for an early morning meal.

When the first rays of light began to peek over the horizon and stain the surrounding sky, and in turn the water, with its luminance, Kid breathed a sigh of relief. His fatigue hadn't completely faded but light would help. It always did.

Kid abandoned his post and descended the ladder to the deck, his eyes shooting to Tetra's sleeping form as if he had the power to wake the pirate girl just by staring hard enough at her.

"Hey, Tetra. The sun's coming up," Kid said, crouching down next to his dozing friend and shaking her shoulder.

"Oh." Tetra yawned, rubbing her eyes as she sat up. "Okay. Let's wake the others and get moving."

The two of them then split up to awaken everyone else, and soon each of them were at their designated posts. Zuko was on lookout as usual while Tetra navigated the ship with the help of Link. Kid and Niko, once they'd finished unfurling the sail, were given the job of waking the other four pirates. Unfortunately dawn wasn't the opportune time for pirates with hangovers to roll out of bed fully awake and alert.

"When did you get back?" Senza asked him, still thrown off by Kid's presence even though he'd been below decks with them for what must have been ten minutes by now.

"Yesterday," Kid replied for what felt like the umpteenth time. This particular question seemed to keep resurfacing no matter how many times he answered it. But at least he knew, by now, to anticipate the follow up question which is why he had an answer prepared before the question was even posed. "And Tetra and I are fine."

"But where were you?" Mako interjected, straightening his broken glasses for all the good it did his eyesight, "We couldn't find you on Windfall."

"That's because we weren't there. We weren't even on the Great Sea," Kid confided, "It's kinda hard to explain, but we were teleported to another world-"

"Is this another one of your spiels about the ghost ship?" Gonzo interrupted, his tone suggesting that Kid should stop talking if it was.

"No, it's not," Kid insisted, restraining himself from adding that the ghost ship had been real as well. "We really did accidentally travel to another world, but we had trouble finding a way back which is why it took so long."

"You know this is far-fetched, yeah? Why should we believe you?" Gonzo challenged.

"Because I have proof," Kid said while Niko nodded energetically beside him, supporting his claim.

"Where is it?" Mako wondered, the mere thought of solid evidence piquing his interest.

" _He_ is above decks with Tetra," Kid proclaimed, "and there's another one. We're still trying to find her though."

"He? What do mean, lad?" Senza inquired, skeptical.

"In the other world we went to, Tetra and I met our counterparts. They're basically different versions of us. My counterpart is here and we're trying to figure out where Tetra's counterpart ended up," Kid elaborated.

"So, let's suppose you're telling the truth," Gonzo began, his tone hinting that he didn't think this was the case, "You're saying that the other version of you and of Miss Tetra followed you both here? Why?"

"Well, we may have accidentally allowed an ancient demon to cross over from that world into this one," Kid admitted.

Instead of an exclamation of surprise, the pirates met his words with laughter. Kid snuck a glance at Niko who simply shrugged helplessly as if to say, 'what are you gonna do?'

"Now  _that_ is a story. Document that one will you, Niko?" Senza remarked with sarcasm drenched words.

"I think I will," Niko responded with honesty the others weren't expecting, and Kid shot him a grateful smile before turning his attention back to the snickering pirates.

"Either way, Tetra still wants you all on deck," Kid reminded them.

"Of course. We'll get there. After breakfast," Nudge declared as he crossed from the kitchen to the small table the rest of the pirates were seated at with plates of scrambled eggs. Kid eyed the food longingly, debating whether to ask for some or not.

"You two can take the rest up to everyone else," Nudge added, indicating four other plates on the counter. Four, meaning he didn't believe Kid's story any more than the rest of them. Niko grabbed two while Kid took the remaining plates, sneaking an extra fork out of the drawer as he realized he'd have to share his breakfast with Link.

The two of them made their way to the upper deck in silence, and Kid braced himself for the scolding Tetra would give them both when they returned without the others.

Thankfully, the sun was more merciful today and the air didn't hang quite as low. Niko made for the crow's nest, precariously cradling two plates on one arm while using his free hand to progress up the ladder. In a few strides, Kid was at the helm, biting his lip out of nerves when Tetra noticed him approaching alone.

"Let me guess," Tetra sighed, "they blew you off."

"Yeah. How'd you know?" Kid wondered.

Tetra smirked. "I've lived with them all my life. That's how. What did you tell them exactly?"

"They wanted to know where we've been, so I told them the truth and they didn't believe me," Kid explained, "On the bright side, Nudge made breakfast."

It was then that Tetra noticed what he was holding and whisked a plate out of one of his hands so fast that he nearly dropped the other.

"Bless the Gods. I'm starved," Tetra declared as she took a quick forkful of eggs and put it in her mouth before grabbing hold of the wheel again.

"Because they didn't believe my story, they also don't believe you're here, so we have to share," Kid proclaimed, turning to Link and holding out one of the forks to him.

"It's fine," Link said, waving off the offer, "You need it more than I do. You eat it."

"But you haven't eaten anything in a day either," Kid protested, refusing to back down no matter what excuse his counterpart presented him with. "Even if you say no, I'm still only eating half of what's on this plate."

That statement seemed to make Link's decision for him, and he accepted the proffered fork. Kid sat down next to Link and set the plate down between them so they could both reach it easily.

"Are the others going to come up here anytime soon or are they going on strike below decks because they think we're crazy?" Tetra asked, glancing over her shoulder to address Kid who was just putting food into his mouth for the first in over twenty-four hours.

He swallowed before answering, "They said they're going to come up here after breakfast." Tetra said nothing to this, so Kid supposed she was satisfied with the response. He didn't bother to check and continued to eat, making sure he didn't go over the line he and Link had instigated to separate their shares.

A few minutes later the food was gone, and the other pirates were emerging on deck, a couple of them throwing glares at the rising sun as if it was doing them some injustice by being there.

"Oi!" Tetra called, waving the rest of her crew over once she'd captured their attention. The four pirates approached their scowling captain apprehensively.

"Who's he?" Gonzo inquired, indicating Link with a jerk of his head.

"He's proof of where we've been," Tetra declared, head held high as if challenging the men before her to dismiss the notion of another world now. None of them took it, and Tetra continued, "And what about you guys? I've told you all numerous times that drinking was forbidden and what happens? I come back only to find half my crew three sheets to the wind! That's not acceptable under any circumstances. I don't care how long I was gone. No means no, understand?"

"Aye, Miss," chorused the four pirates, each wallowing in separate stages of guilt.

"Good," Tetra nodded in satisfaction. "Senza, Nudge, I want you two to set up the running rigging. Gonzo, you're on the helm. Mako, take inventory and report to me with the numbers when you're finished." She hopped off the platform that held the ship's wheel so her first mate could take her place while the rest of the pirates scurried off to their assigned posts.

"Wow," Link commented.

"If you want to keep your mouth, I suggest you shut it," Tetra glowered.

"Reminder, I'm not one of your crew," Link interjected.

"Reminder, this is my ship," Tetra countered in an over-sweet voice that quickly turned bitter. "Which means you do as I say, and right now I want Kid as navigator. Link, go grab Niko and clean up everything from breakfast."

Kid could tell his counterpart wanted to argue with her, but he steeled himself and handed over the sword without a word before leaving to retrieve Niko.

"Kid knows where we're going so adjust our course as he dictates," Tetra ordered Gonzo before running off to survey and direct the work of the other crew members.

His new task could almost be described as relaxing if Gonzo didn't have so many complaints about the way he stated his directions. He couldn't just say, slight turn to port. He had to give degrees, and goddesses above knew that Kid had no idea how to determine this. Tetra had probably switched him off with Link because she knew how particular Gonzo was about directions and Link, who'd never sailed before in his life, wouldn't have any chance of successfully communicating with the pirate. At least Kid knew better than to say right or left.

Fortunately, their path was leveling out to the point where he didn't have to scramble so often for nautical terms in order for Tetra's first mate to adjust their course.

Judging by their, more or less, straight course, Kid should have been expecting the call of "Sail ho!" from the crow's nest, but for whatever reason, he wasn't. This news animated him, and Kid soon found himself leaning over the closest railing, Master Sword firmly in his grasp, in order to catch a glimpse of the ship that was supposedly on the horizon.

Whipping out his sister's telescope and holding it up to his eye, Kid zeroed in on the sailing vessel in the distance. After some fiddling with the zoom feature, he managed to narrow his sights on the ship. Its gold and green accents were familiar, as was the simple design on the sail. His memories were slow to surface, and it seemed that the longer he stared at it, the more the memories buried themselves.

Momentarily lowering the telescope, Kid pointed the sword toward the strangely familiar ship in the distance. The reaction was far stronger than it'd ever been, the sacred sword practically writhed in his grip and nearly caused him to lose his hold on it. There was no doubt about where Zelda was now. She was on that ship. The question was, whose was it?

It definitely didn't belong to Beedle, or a simple sailor. No sailor had a ship as ostentatious as that one. Could it be a treasure-hunter then? Or another pirate group? He hadn't seen a flag that suggested the latter, but, then again, not all pirates flew them. Some pirates took pleasure in witnessing the shock and fear overtake their prey when they were boarded and robbed because they'd trusted the wrong people.

Suddenly, the answer came barreling in, screeching to a belated halt in the front of his mind.

"Oh no," Kid uttered, backing away from the rail and running off to find Tetra. Something told him getting the princess back wasn't going to be as simple as they'd hoped.


	9. Reunion

Gazing through Zuko's spyglass, Tetra scarcely believed what she saw. The graceful wings of a butterfly were splayed in green against an off-white canvas that served as the main sail for the approaching medium-sized vessel. If that wasn't enough to tip her off as to the identity of the owner, the gold and green accents adorning the ship erased any and all doubts. She'd only seen this ship once before, but the story behind it was so comical she could never forget it.

It had been a joke. The ship that drifted on the horizon hadn't been constructed for any purpose besides appeasing a pirate captain's try hard girlfriend who was much too young for him anyway. The story behind the pair was actually quite ironic. The girl fell in love with him first and, being the audacious thing that she was, approached him one day while his ship was docked at an island. The pirate had played along with it, most likely thinking he could take advantage of the girl and collect a handsome sum for her return in the same breath.

However, the girl turned out to be very charismatic and what started out as a game in the eyes of the pirate captain soon transformed into something tangible. His feelings bloomed and his crew would testify to him being driven mad because of it. He even went as far as to build a ship especially for her, as a "token of his affections," but secretly hoped she would take the ship and get out of his life since he was finding it harder and harder to resist her. To say she was overjoyed with the gift would be a serious understatement. The girl was so elated, she took the ship for a test run with assurance from her lover that it really wasn't that hard.

Unfortunately for him, he was right. It wasn't hard. In fact, the girl had a special knack for sailing and, best of all, finding treasure. She returned with both her faithful sister and a few precious gems. That was the only proof the pirate captain needed that the two of them were destined to be together. He had set her free, and she'd come back to him, even better than before.

As fate would have it, the two of them got into a heated argument one day, over what, no one knew, and the girl stormed off with all the treasure she'd ever brought him, her sister, who she claimed to be the only reliable person on the Great Sea, and the ship he had given her. She never did return.

When it became apparent that the girl was lost, the pirate group, which had never been very impressive even prior to the girl's interference in their lives, disbanded, going their separate ways. That had been years ago, and Tetra still laughed about it with her crew, as the other group of pirates had been their rivals at one point, thinking themselves high and mighty because they'd turned an old fortress into their base.

Until now, Tetra had had no reason to ponder the whereabouts of the girl. She'd been so unimportant, in fact, that Tetra had forgotten her name.

"Tetra!" Kid's voice startled her, causing her to almost lose her grip on the worn telescope.

She whirled around, pointing the spyglass at his chest in a way that would have been intimidating had it been a sharp edged weapon rather than a weather-worn telescope. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I wasn't trying to sneak up on you," Kid objected. "Listen, Zelda's on that ship!"

"Is she?" Tetra mused as she returned Zuko's telescope to him and turned to survey the ship cutting through the waters towards them in one smooth motion. "That's convenient."

"No, it's not." Kid disagreed. "Do you know whose ship that is?"

"Do you?" Tetra countered, glancing at him over her shoulder.

"Yeah. It's Jolene's."

"And how do you know Jolene?" Tetra wondered, genuinely curious as she swiveled on her heel to face her best friend. She hadn't recalled the name of the girl until Kid had uttered it.

"Wait … you know her too?" Kid asked.

"Yes, but I asked first, so answer me," Tetra commanded. "How do you know her?"

"Linebeck and I got ambushed by her too many times to count when we were sailing from island to island," Kid explained.

"Why would she ambush you?" Tetra inquired, her brain hurrying to piece it all together.

"Because she hates Linebeck," Kid supplied. "So … how do you know her?"

"Remember that no-good group of pirates I told you about that had made the Forsaken Fortress their hideout a long time ago?" Tetra asked, waiting briefly for the young hero to nod before continuing, "Well, Jolene was the girlfriend of their captain, and since we used to compete with them, we saw quite a bit of each other."

"Weird. I wonder how long she was trapped in the Realm of the Ocean King," Kid commented.

"All I know is that she disappeared a few years ago and that group of pirates went their separate ways shortly after," Tetra told him. "It doesn't really matter anyway. She's out now and we need to confront her to get what we want." She stepped past Kid so she could reach the ladder and began her descent from the crow's nest.

"Wait! I don't think it's going to be that easy," Kid protested, trailing after her but unable to match her swift pace since he was hindered by the Master Sword clutched in his left hand. If he was going to carry it around he might as well ask Link for the sheath.

"Oh yeah? Trust me, Jolene's a pushover. As I said, she knew pirates. She wasn't actually one," Tetra informed him as she released her hold on the ladder and free fell the last couple feet to the deck.

"She did pick up a thing or two by being around them," Kid notified her, reaching the deck a few seconds later.

Tetra crossed her arms over her chest, unconvinced. "Are you trying to tell me she made herself a pirate with a crew and everything in the time she spent in the Realm of the Ocean King?"

"Sort of…" Kid said.

"Okay, so no big deal. I've still got her beat." Tetra turned on her heel, strolling towards the helm. "I'm actually a pirate." She had the feeling that Kid wanted to say more, but she didn't let him.

"Gonzo, there's a ship up ahead and we're going to cut it off, got that?" Tetra announced as she approached her first mate with Kid in tow.

"Don't cut her off," Kid advised, "Her ship's equipped with torpedoes."

"I'm not scared of her weapons," Tetra declared, turning to address Kid, hands set firmly on her hips.

"You should be. Those things are powerful. Trust me, if you cut her off, there will be a hole in your ship," Kid insisted.

Tetra bit her lip, thinking. Jolene hadn't been a force to fear years ago, but that  _had_  been years ago. She hadn't encountered the woman since, and, because of the dramatic time difference between the Realm of the Ocean King and the Great Sea, she supposed it was possible for Jolene to become an actual threat. Then again, Kid had only been ambushed by her because of Linebeck's presence. Tetra was sure that there was a story, probably just as entertaining as the one she knew, behind Jolene's enmity towards the cowardly captain. Since she was not Linebeck, Jolene shouldn't hold any grudge against her. In fact, she would be surprised if the woman even recognized her.

Tetra shook her head. "She won't attack us because she has no reason to. In fact, she's indebted to us, or at least to you, because if it wasn't for you defeating Bellum we'd all still be trapped in the Realm of the Ocean King. Besides, we're just going to ask for her to hand over Zelda. It's not like we're asking for much." She moved towards the port side of the ship, leaning on the rail and turning to the horizon expectantly. It would take some time for their ships to be within communicating distance but she didn't mind.

"Tetra, I really don't think it's going to be that simple," Kid said, leaning on the railing beside her.

"Why not?"

"I don't know. I just have a feeling," Kid replied.

Tetra contemplated this before saying, "A feeling isn't good enough. Give me solid proof she'll attack us."

"Give me solid proof she won't," Kid answered cheekily. "It's not like she knows that we're the reason she's not still in the Realm of the Ocean King, and even if we told her we don't have any actual proof." Tetra restrained the urge to slap him and settled for shooting him a glare instead.

"Face it, you're just refusing to admit that you're wrong for once," Kid stated, his eyes on the ocean. Then recognition alighted on his face as if his mind had just registered the words that had come out of his mouth. "I didn't mean it like that," Kid hastily amended, trying to put out the fire he'd just started.

"Oh yeah? What'd you mean then?" Tetra challenged him, straightening her posture and regarding him with one of her most menacing gazes.

"Uh…" Kid trailed off, looked to the floor as if he'd find an answer that would spare him emblazoned into the wood, and then took off running. Tetra was quick to give chase.

After running around the deck once, spurred on by the calls of encouragement from her crew, Kid realized he didn't have any chance above decks and opted to escape below, throwing the door open. Tetra caught it before it could close and slipped inside, racing after her prey who was already on the stairs.

She was just barely fast enough to witness Kid veering around the left-hand corner to descend the next flight of steps and this gave her an idea. Wasting no time, Tetra bolted down the first flight of stairs and rounded the opposite corner Kid had, intending to meet him in the middle of the preceding deck. She didn't, however, account for Link and Niko who happened to be making their way up the same flight of stairs. With a couple surprised yells and a curse, the three of them tumbled down the stairs, cushioning each other upon impact.

"Get off!" Tetra ordered Niko, who had landed halfway on top of her. Niko hurried to comply and Tetra was pushed to the side a second later.

"Don't push me!" Tetra yelled, throwing a glare at Link.

"You're the one who pushed us down the steps!" Link pointed out, sitting up and wincing a little as he did so.

"Only 'cause you were in the way!" Tetra countered.

"Why were you running in the first place?" Link wanted to know.

"Because I need to kill Kid," Tetra declared.

"Okay, I think you need to calm down," Link observed.

"And I think you need to shut up and stop telling me what to do," Tetra shot back, getting to her feet and looking around for Kid despite knowing he would have taken her misfortune as an opportunity to escape.

"What are you two fighting about now?" Niko wondered.

"He said I was too stubborn to admit I'm wrong for once!" Tetra exclaimed, still outraged by the statement.

"Really? That's it?" Link deadpanned. "Isn't that kinda stupid to be fighting over? I mean, no one can be right  _all_ the time."

"They've fought over stupider things," Niko interjected, instantly regretting it when Tetra scowled at him disapprovingly.

"It's not stupid," Tetra refuted, crossing her arms over her chest as if it would help her maintain her position on the matter.

"Stupid or not, you can't kill him," Link informed her, finally getting to his feet. Then, as if he hoped the inquiry would distract her, he asked, "Are we close to whoever has Zelda yet?"

"Yes, we are," Kid answered him, stepping into the room from the doorway of the next room where he'd apparently been hiding. "And Tetra's going to get us all killed."

"I am not!" Tetra cried indignantly.

"Are too. If you're going to cut her off, she'll sink us," Kid argued.

"Who?" Niko asked, curious.

"Jolene," Kid supplied and Niko's eyes widened.

"Not that Jolene, Miss?" he inquired, turning to Tetra for confirmation.

"Yes, that Jolene, but she was never a threat before, now was she?" Tetra reasoned.

"But her ship is rigged with torpedoes now!" Kid exclaimed, seeming frustrated, "That's what I've been trying to say this entire time."

"Torpedoes?" Niko repeated, sounding frightened.

"What are torpedoes?" Link interrupted them.

"They're like…" Kid trailed off, searching for the correct phrase, "underwater bombs. Basically it's like launching a bomb out of a cannon but it travels in the water instead of the air and they're really fast."

"Do we have torpedoes?" Link wondered, his tone hopeful.

"No, we have bombs and a catapult," Tetra replied, "but we're not going to get attacked by her. She has no reason to be hostile towards us."

"She does if you choose to cut her off," Kid claimed. "That's a blatant challenge." The scowl that crept onto her face was automatic and only deepened when she realized her friend was correct. If she cut off Jolene, it was a sign that she wanted something and wouldn't leave without it. While this was true, Tetra knew being so straightforward could sometimes backfire. Even if she had weapons of her own ready to be launched at the other ship, if Jolene dared to turn to violence, she realized they wouldn't be able to hit Jolene before she struck them. If a shot was fired, Jolene's would definitely be the first to hit. Then again, who's to say flanking her would be any better? If her entire ship was rigged with the underwater missiles then it wouldn't matter how they approached her.

Tetra shook her head, holding her position on the matter and refusing to release it. "So what if it's a challenge? The way you're talking, she'll try to hit us either way."

"I said she  _might_ , and you're not going to be helping matters if you challenge her like that," Kid proclaimed, matching her stubbornness in their dispute with his own. "Besides, she can only fire torpedoes from the front of her ship."

"Well, why didn't you start with that?!" Tetra fumed, heading for the stairs. She left the three of them behind as she stomped up the steps, thoughts raging wildly in her head. There was no purpose to their recent quarrel. All Kid had to say was that Jolene's range with the new weapons that outfitted her ship were limited to the bow. She would have agreed with him in an instant.

With a huff of irritation, Tetra threw open the door and emerged on the deck, making a bee-line for the helm.

Gonzo!" Tetra called to capture her first mate's attention. "Change of plans. We're going to flank the ship."

"Aye, Miss," Gonzo responded immediately. "Do you know whose ship it is?"

"Jolene's," Tetra responded, as she ascended the short flight of steps to the helm.

"What? The same girl that caused Bora's crew to disband?" Gonzo exclaimed, shocked.

"The very same," Tetra confirmed.

"Should be interesting to hear her story, yeah?" Gonzo commented, the majority of his attention on steering the ship.

"Gonzo, we're not approaching her to ask her where she's been all this time!" Tetra glowered, crossing her arms over her chest in disapproval. "We're asking her to hand over someone she has in her possession."

"Who?"

Tetra waved a hand in dismissal. "There's no point telling you, now is there? You won't believe me."

"Why do you think that?" Gonzo wondered.

"Because you didn't believe us about the ghost ship," Tetra reminded him.

"But that's different, yeah?" Gonzo said, his tone urging her to agree.

"No, it's not," Tetra said, her tone clipped. She refused to engage in an argument she'd had with almost every member of her crew at some point after the ghost ship incident. The same questions and reasons were raised in defense as to how it is, or isn't, possible, so she wasn't going to waste her breath.

Her first mate didn't seem to feel the conversation was dully repetitive, and Tetra would have been roped into the dispute against her will if it hadn't been for Mako stepping through the door that led to the lower decks when he did. Swiftly closing the distance between them, Tetra was grateful to turn her attention to other matters. Namely, their supplies.

As she reviewed the list Mako presented to her, she couldn't help but become cross. They had deliberately overstocked last time since they were expecting to carry an extra passenger for a week in which Aryll would be visiting her big brother. The fact that the three of them had been absent meant that the rest of the crew had lived like kings in the time they'd been gone, extra shares and all. Suffice it to say, there was little left of anything.

"Give me a few minutes to write up a list," Tetra told Mako, raising her eyes to meet his. "When that's done I want you to calculate how much of everything we'll need for two extra people."

She didn't wait for Mako's confirmation, knowing it was a given, and made her way to her room. She was sure to close the door behind her, as she valued her privacy. Besides, she needed time to think on her own, alone. Gods knew she hadn't gotten much of that during her time in the other world.

Allowing the familiarity of her room to embrace her, Tetra sighed and settled herself down at her desk. Never did it feel so good just to be sitting down in her cabin! Taking out a clean sheet of paper and a writing utensil, the young pirate captain began her work, referring to the record of supplies Mako had so diligently recorded whenever she became stuck. The task rendered her in such a state of near relaxation that she nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice interrupted the almost complete silence of the area.

"So, this is your room?" the Twilight Princess wondered in a matter of fact tone.

"Midna," Tetra said curtly as she bent down to retrieve the quill she'd accidentally dropped.

"You say my name as if you're disappointed to see me!" Midna exclaimed, her tone reaching for hurt but not quite getting there.

"I'm not. I'm busy, and I didn't invite you to come in here so you shouldn't even be here," Tetra replied, her voice flat.

"Are you still sour about that incident a few days ago?" Midna speculated.

"What?" Tetra asked, her confusion quickly being replaced with the recollection of memories. "Oh, that. No, I'm not mad about that anymore." She was a bit surprised to hear herself utter the words, and even more surprised to realize it was true. In all honesty, the incident itself, and the anger associated with it, had dissolved over the last few days. Of course, that isn't to say that if Midna ever slapped her again she'd be okay with it, but she was allowing this particular event to slide.

"Good." Midna drifted closer to Tetra's desk, making it apparent she meant to stay, although Tetra suspected that had been the Twili's intention all along.

"What do you want?" Tetra asked as she attempted to resume her current objective.

"Conversation," Midna answered her. "It gets really boring hiding out in the shadows."

"You don't have to do that," Tetra pointed out. "My crew can deal."

Midna giggled. "Your crew is an interesting bunch." Tetra hummed in agreement and the Twilight Princess continued, "But I don't think showing myself to them would be a good idea. Especially that Niko guy. He seems a bit too jumpy as it is."

"Do what you want," Tetra told her friend, her eyes on her work, "but know that if they do find out about you or see you that it isn't the end of the world."

"I know, but everything's already complicated. Why throw myself into the mix? Besides, I like observing from the shadows. I learn a lot."

"Like what?" Tetra inquired, suddenly skeptical. What did Midna know, or think she did?

"Well, there's a lot more that goes into running a ship than I thought," Midna began, "and your crew's laughably disobedient when you're not around."

"I wouldn't call disobeying my restrictions on the alcohol my crew consumes laughable. No one can function properly if they're drunk."

This statement didn't seem to move Midna. "On another note, they respect you and I dare say they're a little afraid of you as well. Now that I think about it, it's almost like you're running a mini kingdom already!"

Tetra stopped mid-stroke, and raised her head to address Midna. "Well, I'm not. This isn't a kingdom, it's a pirate ship. It's run completely different."

"Okay, so maybe kingdom isn't the right analogy," Midna amended, "but it's at least like running your own castle. Each person has an assigned position and you give the orders which they are then obligated to follow."

Tetra shook her head vehemently, dropping her eyes to the paper on her desk filled with her own scribbles. "I don't want to talk about that."

"I know," Midna said with such compassion that Tetra couldn't help but look at her, "but you'll have to face it sometime."

"Sometime doesn't need to be right now," Tetra declared, angling her chin in a stubborn manner.

"Okay," Midna relented as Tetra turned her attention back to her list. "But if you ever want to learn the ways of a royal feel free to ask me. Or Zelda, but I imagine I'd be a much more fun teacher than her."

"I'll think about it," Tetra said, only half serious as she added another item to the already quite lengthy list. She didn't want to think of being a princess or anything other than a pirate captain for that matter.

To her relief, Midna dropped the subject. The Twilight Princess then began to tell her exactly how incompetent Link was on a moving ship, which prompted Tetra to add her own observations, and before she knew it she found herself laughing and cracking jokes with Midna. She had no idea how long their conversation lasted or how in the world she managed to finish writing up the list of supplies but somehow she did. As she rose to leave her room with the completed list, Midna slid into her shadow with a quiet giggle. Tetra made sure to replace the smile on her face with a neutral expression before strolling out of the ship's innards.

She found Mako on the deck and handed him her list. Leaving him to calculate the numbers, Tetra checked on the rest of her crew to confirm that they were doing what they were supposed to. In the couple instances they weren't, she immediately got them back on track with a swiftly barked order and a well-placed glare.

She had just sat down on the portside railing to watch for Jolene's ship when Mako approached her with the completed list and a concern.

"Money," Mako stated. "We don't have much."

"Tell me something I don't know," Tetra invited as her eyes scanned the updated list.

"Not to be disrespectful, Miss, but how are we going to pay for it?" Mako wondered. Then he added as an afterthought, " _Are_  we going to pay for it?"

"Of course we're going to pay for it," Tetra rolled her eyes at Mako's implication, "We may not have the money but my counterpart does."

"Your counterpart?" Mako repeated in a tone that suggested he thought her inane.

"Kid tried to explain it to you. It's not my fault you laughed in his face," Tetra said nonchalantly, her eyes on the paper in her hand rather than the knowledgeable pirate in front of her. "But don't worry," she said, glancing up at him, "once she's on board, we'll clear up everything."

"Is there any chance the clearing things up part can come sooner?" Mako inquired.

"Nope." She wasn't sorry for denying him information. It served him right for not believing them. Besides, she didn't have much of a choice. Without all their proof in one place, it'd be hard to convince them.

"Okay, well, is there anything else you want me to do?" Mako asked, knowing he wouldn't get anywhere by prying.

"Yes. Go figure out exactly how much money we have and report back to me when you're finished," Tetra replied absentmindedly as her attention drifted to the swabbie threesome that had decided to show their faces on deck.

Kid was the first to reach her, an apology in his eyes which she blatantly ignored. She didn't care for his apologies. They were redundant and never meant much. What was the point of saying sorry? The word wasn't magic. Kid seemed to believe it was and she humored him in retaining that belief as she accepted the apology with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"What's that?" Kid wondered, his eyes latching onto the piece of paper in her hand.

"See for yourself," she invited holding the paper out for him to take. She watched his emerald eyes widen as he skimmed it, Niko coming to peer over his shoulder. Link made to do the same before realizing he couldn't read it.

"What is it?" Link wondered, glancing between her and Kid in hopes that one of them would be able to provide him with the answer.

"Supply list," Kid said without looking up. "A very big supply list. Are you sure we need this much?"

"Yes," Tetra answered simply, whisking the list out of his hands before he could question it further.

"How long is it supposed to hold us?" Link asked.

"A week," she replied, folding up the paper and slipping it into her pocket.

"A week?!" Kid exclaimed in disbelief. "No way. That much supplies should hold us for longer."

"Not if there's ten people on the ship," Tetra pointed out. "I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but two extra people make a difference."

"I know but I didn't think it'd be that much," Kid confessed.

"It's not as much as you think," she assured him with a sigh as she hopped off the railing.

"How long are you staying?" Niko inquired, looking to Link expectantly for the answer. Tetra suspected he was asking so he knew how long he'd be able to enjoy having two underlings to boss around, although in terms of social status Link and Kid were both above him. On the pirate ladder, though, he was their senior.

"I don't know," Link admitted. "It depends."

As the three of them chatted about the duration of the visit and argued over which would be better, a prolonged one or a fleeting one, Tetra weaved amongst the working members of her crew in order to confirm that they were all informed of the plan to flank the upcoming ship. Nudge complimented her on the wise decision which only prompted her to hurry away from him before the small detail came up that it hadn't been her original one. Even though she knew he could most likely sense this from her hasty retreat, he didn't make the effort to track her down, for which she was grateful.

As her personal advisor, Nudge had a knack for interpreting body language and behavior so he could discern a person's feelings just by looking at them. Tetra, while a hard egg to crack for most, was very easy for him to read and it was for this reason she didn't like striking up conversation with the man, as it almost always provoked the discussion of her emotions and how she had to gain better control of them.

Personally, Tetra thought she controlled them just fine. She made sure that they never overwhelmed her, and if one of them tried she'd always replace it with something else. Of course, that "something else" tended to be anger, and she knew Nudge would argue that that wasn't what he meant by controlling her emotions, and he knew that she knew it too.

She became so wrapped up in both her task, and her own thoughts, that they didn't release her until Jolene's ship was almost upon them. Her stroll around the deck became a hurried run as she jogged from post to post, making sure the sails were being lowered and the message was being conveyed to the other ship that they were stopping to chat.

When the two ships were parallel to each other, Tetra hopped onto the railing to secure her jurisdiction over the vessel.

"'Hoy! I'd like to speak with your captain," she proclaimed to the few men on board the neighboring ship. There weren't many which caused her to suspect that the majority of Jolene's crew was left behind in the Realm of the Ocean King. She watched as they all exchanged uncertain glances, clearly lost about what to do. Tetra couldn't help the smirk that crawled onto her face. Getting Zelda back would be all too easy.

She planted her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrows as if to say, "Well? I'm waiting." The men seemed to be familiar with this stance, as they instantly leaped into action, one of them disappearing below decks and the others busying themselves while stealing furtive glances her way.

The woman that emerged on deck wasn't the one that was engrained in Tetra's memory when provided with the name Jolene. As she approached the side of her own vessel, Tetra noted that the woman still held herself in the same confident manner and her strides remained akin to the swaying of the waves in the ocean. However, the bracelets of gold lining her arms and the copious amounts of makeup adorning her tanned face was new. Actually, she seemed more confident than before, as if all her intrepidness and seductions had finally provided her with profit. Jolene looked more than just a couple years older, and it was just then that Tetra realized, she was.

"Hmm ... now who's this?" Jolene hummed, her painted almond-shaped eyes narrowing as she surveyed Tetra from head to toe. "I feel like I should know you."

"That's because you do," Tetra informed her.

"Do I?" Jolene mused, leaning on the railing of her ship in thought. After a few moments of sweeping her eyes over Tetra's ship, a spark of recognition alighted in her eyes and she straightened. "Ah, yes. I remember now. You're a sea rat."

"And from what I've heard you are too. Not to mention you were dating one before so you must not mind them very much," Tetra returned, a smug smile playing on her lips.

Jolene made a choked noise that Tetra could only interpret as half of a laugh. "I forgot the tongue on you. Such cheek. Terra, was it?"

"Tetra," she curtly supplied before changing the subject. "Anyway, I didn't stop for a chat."

"Oh? Then what did you stop for?" Jolene wondered.

"I have reason to believe you have a friend of mine in your possession, and I don't think it's unreasonable for me to ask you to hand her over."

"You don't think it's unreasonable," Jolene repeated, leaning on the railing of her ship as if she was settling in for a long conversation. "Well, sorry to disappoint, but it's not quite that simple. I'm not just going to hand you my prisoners willingly."

"Prisoners?" Tetra asked, her brow knitting together in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"

"Are you daft? I said prisoners and I meant prisoners," Jolene declared as if Tetra was particularly slow.

"But-" she wasn't able to utter her full, puzzled protest before no one other than the princess herself emerged on the deck of Jolene's ship, icy eyes clearly searching for an escape.

Whirling around at the disturbance, Jolene turned her back on Tetra just as another person slinked out from below decks.

"By the goddesses…" Tetra spoke softly under her breath as soon as she recognized the other "prisoner."

"No way," Kid breathed from somewhere behind her.

Linebeck. Of all the people she'd never thought she'd see again, he was right up there with Jolene. The fact that they were both right in front of her at once was almost too much to bear with a straight face. Tetra would, in fact, be amused by the display if Jolene hadn't thrown the term prisoner out into the sea-salted air.

"Don't just stand there!" Jolene snapped at the gawking members of her crew, "Restrain them!" A brief scrabble later and two of Jolene's men were assigned to each prisoner, effectively dashing their plans of escape.

Tetra's gaze met Zelda's in an instant and she allowed her eyes to convey a silent message to her counterpart.  _'Use your magic to break free,'_  she willed the princess,  _'and I'll help you get on my ship._ '

Unfortunately, the two of them weren't as in sync with each other as Kid and Link seemed to be, and the message to fight back was lost before it reached Princess Zelda. She knew the princess had magic. Where was a conveniently strong gust of wind to knock her captors off their feet or a burst of fire to singe their fingers? Or better yet, why didn't she use that teleportation magic of hers to hop over to safety?

Tetra could devise a million questions that she knew she'd receive no answers to, so she broke eye contact with her counterpart, biting the inside of her cheek in frustration. Why didn't they have a special type of connection? Their souls were the same, were they not?

"You're crazy, woman!" Linebeck shouted as Jolene sauntered closer to him.

"Says the man that thinks hiding in a crate will spare him from my wrath," Jolene shot back. "I'll never forget what you did. And to think, you have the gall to try it again." Linebeck sputtered, trying to come up with a cohesive response, and Tetra took her chance to intervene.

"Look, Jolene," Tetra interjected, causing the pretend she-pirate to whirl around to face her, "I don't know what is or has gone on between you two, nor do I care. I just want her." She pointed to Princess Zelda to make her request as clear as possible. "After that, I'll leave you to it."

"W-what?! Wait a minute!" Linebeck objected, "You'd really leave me with  _her_?!"

"That's what I just said," Tetra clarified.

"That's not a good idea, Tetra," Kid spoke up.

"Yeah! Listen to the kid. He's sensible," Linebeck added. "Besides if it wasn't for me you'd still be a statue."

Her hands clenched into fists. She wanted to punch that snarky look off his face. She couldn't though because he was right. If he hadn't carted Kid around on his ship, she would never have been found, much less saved. She owed him this. But only this. If it was any consolation, she could have her men dump him in the ocean after she got Jolene to hand him over. The prospect almost brought a smile to her face and she relaxed her battle-ready stance in resignation.

Tetra sighed. "Alright, Jolene. It's gonna work like this: You free both of them and allow me to take them off your hands. Then you can go on your merry way. If you refuse to comply by the time I get to zero, I'm going to board your ship and take them by force. I wouldn't recommend letting it come to that."

"Oh? And why not?" Jolene wondered, her curiosity as fake as her title.

"Because I'm a pirate," she replied simply.

"You do realize that those kinds of threats don't scare other pirates, right?" Jolene inquired.

"Yes, but you're not even a real pirate so my threat stands," Tetra declared matter-of-factly.

"What makes you think I'm not a real pirate?" Jolene wanted to know, sounding insulted.

"For one, you don't fly the flag," Tetra pointed out, gesturing to Jolene's ship. "For another, I don't recognize you as one."

"Then I challenge you to an official pirate duel," Jolene proclaimed, sticking out her hand to seal the arrangement.

"That won't make you a pirate," Tetra glowered, keeping her hands exactly where they were.

"It will when I win," Jolene shot back.

"You won't win and neither will I because we're not doing it," Tetra declared.

"Aww, what's the matter?" Jolene cooed, an expression of faux concern creasing her features. "Scared you'll end up like your mother?"

It was ridiculous really. Words held no substance and yet these particular ones stole the breath from Tetra's lungs. It was a punch in the stomach and for a few seconds she was frozen. This wasn't just about getting Zelda back anymore. This was personal.

Tetra met Jolene's smirk with a stormy stare. "I'll accept your challenge … as long as you agree to my conditions." The woman made a go-on motion with her outstretched hand and Tetra continued, "When  _I_ win, you'll give both of your prisoners to me along with all of their belongings and you won't pursue us."

Jolene contemplated the offer a second before nodding once. Tetra reached out to grasp Jolene's hand but the woman swiftly snatched it away before she could make contact.

"What?" Tetra huffed in annoyance.

"I was just thinking," Jolene began, clasping both hands behind her back. "When I win, what do I get?"

"You get to keep your prisoners."

"Yes, but that doesn't give me much incentive," Jolene pointed out.

"It should be plenty," Tetra argued.

"It's not," Jolene informed her in a sing song voice.

Tetra knew she didn't have much to offer. Therefore, she wagered the only thing she could think of that Jolene could possibly want. "How about, if you win, I'll give you all the rupees we have," Tetra proposed.

"No," Jolene stated, without taking a moment to consider it. "I don't need your money. I have plenty of my own."

"Then what do you want?" Tetra asked tersely.

Jolene's eyes lit up and instantly Tetra knew she'd made a mistake. And a vital one at that. There were rules to deal making and the rage that still coursed through her from the fake pirate's earlier words clouded her judgement. Never, ever, ask your opponent what they wanted. It was like throwing a person a wild card in a card game. You couldn't get it back unless they chose to give it back and no one was stupid enough to do that.

"I thought you'd never ask," Jolene smirked as Tetra bit her lip, internally kicking herself. She was so dumb! "Let's see, I want…" As she silently cursed herself, Tetra watched Jolene's narrowed eyes survey her ship, searching hungrily for something she wished to be hers. But as the seconds inched by, Tetra realized that no matter what Jolene chose as her prize, it didn't matter because she would never get it. She wouldn't win after mentioning her mother's death in such a disrespectful manner. Tetra wouldn't allow it.

Suddenly, Jolene's delving gaze came to a stop and she finished her sentence with such certainty that Tetra suspected she'd known exactly what she was going to pick as soon as Tetra made her the offer. "The little boy in green."

"What?" Kid wondered. He sounded thoroughly confused so Tetra assumed he hadn't been paying much attention until just now. That or he was genuinely puzzled as to why Jolene would want him at all. To tell the truth, Tetra was too, but not enough to ask.

Without missing a beat, Tetra extended her hand and said simply, "Deal." Jolene clasped her hand tight, a smile gracing her scarlet lips.

"WHAT?!" Kid and Link exclaimed from behind her. She didn't so much as glance at them for she was concentrating on what Jolene was saying.

"I challenged you so we'll fight on your ship and you'll be at the point of disadvantage. We each have a minute to choose our weapons and a ref from each of our crews. Time starts now," Jolene said, releasing her hand and turning her back on her without waiting for a response.

Tetra did likewise and nonchalantly hopped down from the railing. Immediately she was crowded by both Link and Kid, but she quickly ducked past them. She didn't have time to argue with them about her decisions.

Instead, she addressed her crew which were gathered in a loose half circle, waiting expectantly for her orders.

"Gonzo I'm choosing you as my ref," she announced.

"Are you sure you want to do this? You've never done a duel before," Nudge spoke up, indicating he didn't think it a wise choice on her part. Normally she would take his words into consideration but at the moment they were nothing more than dust to brush off. No one insulted her mother and got away with it.

"It doesn't matter that I haven't done it before," Tetra stubbornly proclaimed, "I know the concept and the rules. I'll be fine."

"But what weapon are you going to use?" Mako wondered.

"My dagger," Tetra responded, "What else would I use?"

"I don't know. I'm only asking because you don't have your dagger," Mako pointed out.

She let out a small gasp of alarm and instantly felt for the hilt of her trusty weapon that was supposed to be at her hip. Her fingers only met the empty sheath.

Zelda. She still had it. Silently cursing her counterpart for the second time today, Tetra turned to Niko. "I'm borrowing yours," she informed him, snatching the swabbie's dagger from its sheath. It wasn't like he ever used it anyway.

"Don't fight her with a dagger," Kid pleaded as he came to a stop beside her. "You can't beat her like that."

"Watch me," Tetra invited, without sparing him a glance.

"Don't worry. Even if she loses we're not going to give you to anyone," Link spoke up in an attempt to ease his counterpart's anxiety.

"No, if I lose we'll have to give him away," Tetra corrected him.

"Why?" Link wanted to know.

"Because we made a deal and there are rules for these things, ya know?" she tersely explained.

"Since when do you follow the rules?" Link demanded.

"Did I say rules? I meant code," Tetra amended. "I've never broken the code."

"Code?" Link wondered, obviously suggesting that she elaborate. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to explain the pirate Code of Conduct to him so she could do nothing more than snap at him to be quiet. Of course, he was never one to be bossed around easily by anyone, especially by her, and it seemed that his being in her world, on her ship no less, didn't change their relationship at all.

She would have been fine with it if it wasn't for the fact that Link's protests were echoed by Kid's who she supposed became more confident as his counterpart continued to oppose her.

"Would you two shut up?" Tetra requested, shaking her head at their objections as if they were the most ridiculous things she'd ever heard. "I know what I'm doing. Stop your complaining and have a little faith in me, 'kay? Keep it up, and I might just lose on purpose."

"You wouldn't do that," Link stated, spotting her bluff just as she'd expected him to.

"Of course I wouldn't," Tetra confirmed, rolling her eyes at his predictability, "but unless you have something helpful to contribute to the discussion do me a favor and keep your mouths shut."

Kid barely took a second to absorb her words before launching into a brief explanation of Jolene's fighting style. From her best friend's experience, Jolene relied solely on offensive maneuvers that packed a punch. This would typically make her job easy, but Tetra had a feeling Jolene's fighting style had to be different for duels. They wouldn't have much space to exchange blows. Nonetheless, she allowed him to finish before posing the question that was rolling around in her head.

"And where have you fought her before?"

"In the Realm of the Ocean King?" Kid replied slowly as if he wasn't sure of the answer himself.

"No, I mean, how large was the area you were fighting in?" Tetra rephrased her inquiry.

"Well, it was inside of Linebeck's ship," Kid recalled, "so it was a good sized space."

"Then what you just told me is irrelevant," Tetra announced.

"How?" Kid wondered, "Aren't you fighting on deck?"

"No. We're fighting on the bowsprit," she informed him, "so unless Jolene's a heck of a lot stupider than I think she is, she won't try to charge me."

"You are in the disadvantageous position since she challenged you," Mako observed as Kid balked at her earlier statement. "She just might try it to push you off."

"Yeah, but if she charges me she risks slipping herself, and then it won't matter who has the advantage and who doesn't," Tetra pointed out.

"Where exactly are you fighting her?" Link interjected, clearly confused as to what a bowsprit was.

"Time's up!" Jolene's voice replaced Tetra's as she opened her mouth to respond. She swiveled around on her heel just in time to see the gutsy woman leaping the small gap between their two ships with one of her crew members in tow.

Tetra eyed the scimitar Jolene held proudly at her side, assessing it. From what she could tell, it wasn't fake. In fact, it was crafted with precision and the metal appeared to be well-maintained.

Tearing her eyes away from the gleaming weapon, Tetra led the way to the front of her ship, throwing an order over her shoulder for everyone else to stay put. Of course this didn't stop them from following to get a better view of the action, so she felt inclined to send another comment their way dealing with interference. There would be none unless foul play from the other party was involved.

The chosen refs took their places and, casting a final warning glance at Link to do nothing but watch, Tetra hoisted herself up onto the bowsprit, finding her balance almost immediately and traveling out just enough so Jolene had room to get on the rounded beam of wood as well.

"Ready to lose?" Jolene asked, leveling her weapon at Tetra with a smirk.

Tetra bit back a retort as she readied her borrowed dagger and stared directly into her enemy's eyes, wishing looks could kill. She knew by now that losing her temper in a fight wouldn't produce the desired result and vowed to keep as cool a head as possible. Knowing herself, it wouldn't be easy.

Before she knew it, both referees were counting down until the duel would commence.

"Three." She became more conscious of the beam she was balanced on and memorized its motion. As long as a rogue wave didn't come along she'd be okay.

"Two." The smug look on Jolene's face said that she'd already won, but Tetra knew better. The woman before her was nothing but a fake. She had to pretend to feel connected to the real world. It was pathetic. She acted as if gloating about her nonexistent victory would cause it to be true.

"One." She knew better than to get cocky and overconfident until the right moment. Sure, Jolene may be pretending to be a pirate but that didn't necessarily mean she had no fighting skills whatsoever. If there was anything Tetra had learned about battling, it was that you never underestimated your opponent.

"Duel!" Jolene thrust forward with her weapon as soon as the word was uttered, forcing Tetra to back up if she didn't want to be impaled, which she most certainly didn't. The faux she-pirate smiled at her small success, as if Tetra's backing up assured her victory. That was the thing about gloating. It left you wide open.

Tetra darted forward, aiming for the opening Jolene so kindly provided for her. The she-pirate managed to dodge it, taking a risky hop backwards. She moved in for another strike, concentrated on Tetra's left side. Bringing her own weapon to bear, Tetra blocked the attack, the sound of metal striking metal resonated around them.

If it wasn't for the distinct sound Jolene's blade made when sliding off of her smaller one, Tetra would've never known another attack was coming. She just barely managed to reposition her dagger to protect herself before Jolene made another attempt to hit her. Her reflexes were fast, she'd give her that much.

Tetra fell into the rhythm of the battle, blow for blow, as she tried her best to retain her position. It was difficult to refrain from backing up as the strikes Jolene forced her smaller weapon to block were filled with power that sent shockwaves up her arms with every clash of metal.

Jolene suddenly changed tactics, lowering her weapon to take a swipe at her legs. Acting on instinct she'd gathered from other battles, Tetra performed a backflip, realizing a second later that she didn't have as wide a space to land as she normally did. Miraculously, Tetra managed to keep herself aligned with the bowsprit. Unfortunately, her right foot slipped upon landing.

Her opponent didn't waste the opportunity to attack, and Tetra couldn't help gasping as she brought up her weapon within a second of regaining her balance. With no time to steel herself for the blow, Tetra stumbled back, nearly losing her footing again.

Tightening her grip on the dagger, Tetra jabbed forward, taking the overconfident woman by surprise as the tip of the blade almost met the bare flesh of her stomach. Jolene nimbly dodged, backing up a step and readjusting her stance.

There weren't many stable positions to choose from on the bowsprit. Due to its narrowness, they were both forced to stand with one foot in front of the other so every step was a chance for disaster. Tetra had known this before she'd started, of course, but she'd never had to maneuver quickly on the long wooden beam.

Taking an extra second to confirm she had a solid position, Tetra took a few light steps forward, concentrating on how she distributed her weight. She slashed at Jolene's side only to be met with a meager form of defense. In fact, Jolene must never have paid much attention to defensive maneuvers because she was using the wrong one for the situation. Tetra didn't complain and swiftly slid her dagger through the poor attempt at defense.

Jolene immediately recoiled as the metal met her skin and tried to leap to the side, only to discover that she couldn't. Victory was so close that Tetra could almost taste it. Her enemy was off balance, floundering for something to provide her with stability as she only had one foot on the beam. Whether out of spite or desperation, Jolene grabbed the nearest thing for aid which just so happened to be Tetra's arm, still extended from the attack.

Being bigger than she was, Jolene's lack of balance caused her own and Tetra didn't even bother to pull her arm away. Instead she scrabbled back, seeking footing and holding her breath as if it would grant her luck. Fortunately, she managed to find her center. Unfortunately, she helped her enemy steady herself as well.

Gratitude apparently wasn't in Jolene's vocabulary, or if it was, she didn't feel the need to show it to Tetra, for she hit her with the flat of her blade as soon as she'd regained her balance.

"Wouldn't want you to attract Gyorgs when you fall." Jolene smirked in explanation for her choice of attack as Tetra stumbled backwards, both from the sting of the blade and from loss of balance.

Unable to right herself, Tetra fell backwards. She let out a small noise in fright, but managed to stay balanced on the beam while on her back.

"What do you say?" Jolene crooned, pointing the sharp tip of her scimitar at Tetra's throat, "Forfeit now, and I won't toss you into the ocean."

"Yeah right," Tetra scoffed. However disadvantageous her position was, she was determined to win and decided to take a risk to turn it to her favor. Bracing her hands above her head, while being mindful of the dagger clutched tightly in her right, Tetra tumbled backwards and onto her feet, successfully kicking Jolene's weapon out of her hands and into the sea in the process.

Jolene, off balance now and fuming at the loss of her weapon, rushed at Tetra, intending to push her off and go down with her. Tetra didn't like that idea and elbowed the haughty woman in the ribs as she passed, throwing her completely off balance. Thankfully Tetra was close enough to grasp the line that was securing the mast to the ship and managed to keep her balance as she watched Jolene fall off the bowsprit and hit the water.

The cheers from her crew members were so loud that they drowned out Jolene's scream of frustration as she surfaced. Satisfied, Tetra quickly, but carefully, balanced her way off of the bowsprit and onto the more stable area of the ship.

"See? I told you I could do it," Tetra said indignantly, addressing Link.

"Sorry I doubted you," Link apologized, sounding, to her, only half sorry. Nonetheless, she didn't push it. At least he hadn't pointed out that she had almost lost. Trailing behind Kid on the way to the portside railing, Tetra watched as a thoroughly drenched Jolene climbed out of the water with the aid of the man that she had dubbed as her referee. He sure was fast on scrambling off of her ship.

"My prize?" Tetra called over to draw the attention of the salt-water soaked woman on the neighboring ship.

"Ugh, fine," Jolene relented, a disgusted look painting her face. "Release them and return their things." The sailors designated as guards hastily complied with their captain's request, relinquishing their hold on the former prisoners and returning anything they'd confiscated.

Princess Zelda wasted no time in strolling over to the railing of Jolene's ship, head held high to regain any dignity she may have lost in the time she'd been separated from them. Link, as the gentleman he strived to be, stepped forward to help the princess hop the small gap between the two vessels, taking her hand in his to support her.

"I'm a free man!" Linebeck asserted as he leaped across the small gap to her ship unaided and unhindered by Jolene's crew.

"You're a dead man next time I see you!" Jolene called in his wake.

"Shove off, woman!" Linebeck retorted, employing the use of a controversial gesture to support his words.

"Don't think this is over. I will have my revenge!" Jolene pledged, her eyes darting back and forth between both Linebeck and Tetra as if she couldn't decide who she hated more. Tetra had just put her to shame in front of her entire crew and Linebeck, well … he must have done something equally awful to deserve the glare she was driving into his skull.

Jolene then stormed off in a huff with her measly crew, and that was when everything exploded into chaos. Apparently, the addition of two new occupants on her ship was enough to cause everyone to go absolutely insane as they tried, in vain, to figure out the identities of those they didn't know so they could gauge whether they were threats to be dealt with accordingly or friends to be welcomed.

Tetra looked to Kid, hoping she could find some sort of assistance in regaining order. He was fond of doing that. Unfortunately, he was currently being used as an armrest by the cowardly sea captain and wasn't in a position to do much more than pout.

Sighing, she assumed her typical haughty stance, hands set firmly on hips and mouth turned down in a disapproving frown. She then sucked in a breath and screamed, "QUIET!" stamping her foot on the deck for good measure. Nearly everyone was startled into submission by the volume of her voice and those that weren't quickly caught on.

Once all voices were silent, Tetra whirled around on her crew. "You lot should know better than to go screaming your heads off whenever someone new comes aboard! Use your brains for a second. If they were dangerous I wouldn't have let them on the ship." The men shrank back a bit as they acknowledged their mistake and Tetra continued her scolding. "Honestly, Linebeck here couldn't hurt anyone if he tried and-"

"That's not true! I fought off a squid monster before. Tell 'em, kid!" Linebeck exclaimed, nudging Kid forward as if to encourage him to speak up.

"Uh…" was all Kid could get out before Tetra interrupted him.

"Try telling someone who cares. As I was saying," Tetra indicated the princess with a wave of her hand, "she's also harmless … mostly."

"Who is she?" Nudge asked.

" _She_  is Princess Zelda," Tetra declared, pride wriggling its way into her tone as she realized that her crew couldn't address her as such anymore.

"Princess? Ha," Linebeck scoffed, using Kid as an armrest once again, much to his chagrin. "If you're a princess where's your crown? Don't they have those?"

"Linebeck!" Tetra shouted. "Do I have to remind you that you're on my ship and I'm a pirate and this is my crew and my debt to you is paid so you're only still on board because I'm feeling generous?"

"Oh yeah? Well…" Linebeck trailed off, as a few of the more intimidating members of her crew shot him some sharp glares. "Uh, never mind."

"Miss, how can she be Princess Zelda if you're Princess Zelda?" Mako wondered, adjusting his specs.

"I was just getting to that. She … they," Tetra corrected herself, gesturing to both Link and Zelda, "are from a world that runs parallel to ours, so she's my counterpart and Link is Link's counterpart."

"Since when were you a princess? Come to think of it, since when were you a pirate?" Linebeck interrogated her. He then looked down at Kid. "Why don't you tell me these things, kid? Especially the one about there being another you. To think, all this time I could have been making double! We'll have to start treasure hunting right away to make up for lost time…"

"You're not taking those two treasure hunting at a time like this!" Tetra exclaimed in exasperation. "We still have a demon to kill!"

"Then by all means, go kill it. But hurry up. The treasure's waiting," Linebeck ordered her, making a shooing motion with his hands.

"It's not that simple," Tetra scowled, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly. "We still have to find the guy. He's here somewhere."

"So … there really is a demon?" Senza wondered.

Tetra sighed. "Look, it's like this…" The young pirate captain began to relay the tale, to the best of her ability, to those gathered around her. At first, she'd strived to keep the story short but it ended up taking far longer than she'd intended since she'd realized once she'd started that the more she omitted, the more questions she'd be forced to answer at the end. Still, she left the more sentimental sections, such as discovering she was a fallen goddess. They didn't need to know  _that_  to understand what they'd gone through in the past two weeks. By the time she was done, an awed silence enveloped the entirety of her crew. Linebeck, however, wasn't impressed.

"All that and no treasure?" Linebeck demanded. He shook his head. "What's the world coming to?"

"Not everything's about treasure, Linebeck," Kid piped up.

"I know that," Linebeck replied in a tone that suggested otherwise.

Linebeck's greediness aside, she had to admit he was right. They had been looking for treasure and nothing had come out of it except a power hungry demon and some broken tiles.

"Look," Tetra interrupted them, "there was no treasure. Deal with it. I just assumed it was a treasure map. Now we know it wasn't."

"I have a question," Mako spoke up. Tetra granted him permission to speak with an inclination of her head and he continued, "If those two," he pointed to Kid and Link, "have the same name then how are we supposed to differentiate?"

"That's easy," Tetra declared. She gestured to Link. "Call him Link and the other one Kid. That's what we've been doing."

"The other one?!" Kid exclaimed, hurt in his tone.

"What's the problem?" she wondered.

"Well, first of all that's rude," Kid pointed out, "and second of all, we're in our world now so shouldn't I get to keep my name?"

"No, because most of the people here never use your name," Tetra countered. "You have tons of nicknames so let people call you whatever they normally do and have them call him Link."

"If he wants to be called Link then I don't care," Link spoke up.

"Yeah, but what would we call you?" Tetra asked. She took Link's hesitation as an answer and stated, "Exactly. Don't worry about it. Practically everyone here has some different name for him anyway."

She heard Kid mutter something under his breath about not all of the nicknames being very nice. While she had to agree in some cases, she didn't care to comment on it. Kid had tough skin anyway and the names had never really bothered him before. Why should they now?

"You never explained him," Gonzo pointed out, indicating Linebeck with a nod of his head.

"Oh right. He's-"

"The greatest captain to ever sail the seas!" Linebeck proclaimed proudly, puffing out his chest.

"Full of himself, as you can see," Tetra continued as if she'd never been interrupted.

"We met him in the Realm of the Ocean King," Kid added. "He helped me save Tetra."

"But you two were only on that ship for ten minutes, yeah?" Gonzo recalled.

"No! The Realm of the Ocean King is a separate place from the Great Sea. It's another world like the one we just came back from, only it doesn't exist in the same time frame as our world does," Tetra explained. Judging by the expressions dominating the faces of her crew, she hadn't managed to completely convince them yet, but she didn't have time to waste on arguing the matter.

"Anyway…" Tetra whirled around to face Linebeck. "I'm more curious about your side in all of this so … what's your story?"

"Ah, well…" Linebeck began slinging an arm around Kid's shoulders and causing the poor boy to fight for his lost balance due to the sudden weight forced upon him. "The seas have been rough since you two have been gone."

"The short version," Tetra glowered. " _Please."_

"Bah … fine," Linebeck relented, straightening his posture and crossing his arms over his chest. "I was just minding my own business as usual, and then your princess friend appeared out of nowhere. Since I was distracted by her I didn't realize that Jolene was close until a torpedo hit my ship." There was a pregnant pause followed by an exclamation of despair. "MY SHIP! Oh no, oh no, oh no…"

"We'll help," Kid volunteered, putting on a reassuring smile for Linebeck's sake.

"No, we won't," Tetra said, her arms crossed adamantly over her chest and causing Kid's smile to fall. "We have things to do, and they're much more important than finding a damaged ship."

"Maybe to you! That ship's my whole life! I can't lose it," Linebeck argued. "Besides, if you don't help me get it back then I'll just have to stay here."

' _Or we could drop you off on an island,'_  Tetra thought. The only thing that stopped her from uttering the words was the way Linebeck talked about his ship. She knew he'd used a wish to bring it back once when he could've easily wished for endless riches instead and bought a million ships. That action in itself told her that Linebeck's ship was as much home to him as her ship was to her. She couldn't deny him that any more than she could deny it to herself. Tetra sighed in defeat. "Where is it?"

"Four-eye reef," Linebeck replied.

"Wha-four-eye reef?! That's completely out of our way!" she exclaimed in outrage.

"What is our way again?" Kid wondered.

"First we're going to Windfall to stock up on supplies, then Dragon Roost for information," Tetra announced.

"You can get any information you need at Windfall. Everyone likes to talk there," Linebeck cut in.

"Tch … like I trust gossip," Tetra scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Dragon Roost has the hard facts. Why waste time speculating about what  _could_  be happening when we can just get a straight answer?"

"So when you're done all that you'll help me get my ship back?" Linebeck asked her.

"Maybe," she answered him. "It depends on what information we get from Dragon Roost." She felt an argument brewing so she added, "If you can't wait, then feel free to swim there. I can easily arrange that right now."

"On second thought, take your time," Linebeck encouraged her, inching away from the railing slightly as if it would help distance him from the water.

Even though she managed to subdue him, Linebeck's response reminded her that she didn't have time to waste on hours of sailing. Ghirahim had been here for a few days prior to them arriving. That gave him plenty of time to adapt and come up with a plan. If he hadn't executed it yet, he was executing it any minute now and that meant danger for everyone, not just those brash enough to sail the Great Sea.

The problem was cutting down time. She couldn't just magic her way to Windfall.  _'But Kid can,'_  she realized. It took a second for the idea to form and another to confirm it was a good one.

Turning to Nudge, she ordered, "Go get Kid's boat from the hold." There was the briefest moment of hesitation but Tetra doubted anyone else could see it.

"You have a boat?" Linebeck wondered.

"Yeah, a sailboat," Kid confirmed, a puzzled expression on his face as he turned to Tetra.

"Oh, I get it!" Linebeck exclaimed. "You're going to send the kid with me to retrieve my boat."

"No," Tetra said, nearly laughing at how quickly Linebeck's eagerness evaporated. "I'm sending him ahead of us to Windfall so he can get our shopping done."

"But … I never do the shopping," Kid protested.

"You'll have a list," Tetra reminded him. "That's really all you need besides money, but Zelda said she'd help with that and…" She trailed off in thought. "You may want to take someone with you to help you carry stuff. Other than that, we'll meet up with you in a few hours."

"If you want to get there fast I can just take your ship there," Kid offered.

"Absolutely not," she declared, crossing her arms over her chest to discourage any attempts at persuasion. "You don't have the finesse for moving big objects across the sea." Cyclones weren't a favored mode of transportation for a reason. They had a tendency to throw things. It didn't matter so much when they were small things but large objects suffered. Thanks to her best friend, they learned that the hard way a month ago when he swore he could get them to an island faster. He did, but they spent a week repairing the ship afterwards.

"Second time's the charm?" Kid suggested sheepishly.

She smirked. "It's third time's the charm."

Kid considered this before trying again. "Everyone deserves a second chance?"

Out of her peripherals she could see Nudge coming back on deck with Kid's boat. "Make sure you distance yourself from my ship before you leave and when you get there don't forget to change the wind direction," she added, making sure to ignore his hopeful tone.

"Hey! I've seen a boat like that before," Linebeck commented, redirecting their attention to him.

"You have?" Kid wondered.

"Course I have! You have too. We stopped by it remember? The Prince of Red Lions?" Linebeck explained.

"Oh yeah … I remember," Kid admitted, his tone suggesting he'd rather forget the incident. Tetra personally didn't recall anything about a Prince of Red Lions, but she found that she was glad she didn't. It sounded like a mock up version of the King of Red Lions. Judging by Kid's reaction, it probably was.

The next few minutes were spent in hurried preparation. Mako reported back to her with the estimated numbers, which were surprisingly less damaging than she'd expected. Tetra still requested that her counterpart pay for it, since she'd promised that she would. Meanwhile, Kid was trying to decide who to bring with him. Tetra and her crew were off limits so that narrowed it down to Linebeck, Link, and Zelda.

Linebeck insisted he would be more help if Kid didn't know where to find something while Zelda chose to pull the logic card and urged Kid to allow her to accompany him since she had the money in her possession. Link claimed that if he went with Kid, he could help him carry more things than Linebeck or Zelda could. While Tetra didn't doubt this, she detected that the main reason Link wanted to go was so he could escape her ship. He didn't seem to be a real fan of the ocean. Unfortunately for him, there was no true escape from it. No island was big enough to forget it existed.

In the end, Kid chose to take Link with him, just as she'd suspected he would. She bet he could sense how antsy Link was to get onto solid land as she did. It was almost funny, mostly sad. Now she'd have to figure out how to deal with the nagging of the other two while they were gone. Ah, the joys of sailing. She had a feeling she was about to rediscover them in the next three or four hours.


	10. Windfall Island Woes

"Holy Farore! What is that?!" The weather had been just fine a moment ago. More than a little too hot, maybe, but calm, peaceful. There hadn't been a dark cloud to indicate a storm. No uncharacteristically strong waves. No malevolent wind to indicate trouble. Absolutely nothing to warn them of the funnel of wind that was quickly descending from above, which only left one option. Kid had misconducted and angered the wind gods.

"That is our ride," Kid informed him proudly.

"Our ride?!" Link repeated, horrified. Wrenching his gaze away from the whirlwind and to Kid he demanded, "What do mean our ride?"

"I'd hold onto something if I were you," Kid advised him, grinning like he'd just pulled off a magnificent prank, which, Link supposed, he had.

No sooner had the Hero of Twilight taken his counterpart's advice did the gale above them complete its descent. They were now in the eye of the storm and for a split second Link enjoyed the way the wind swirled around them, claiming them as its own, shutting them off from the world, protecting them. Then the moment of tranquility was shattered as chaos forced its way inside their little haven, destroying all potential for enjoyment.

He quickly grew dizzy as the little boat was spun violently around and around, eliciting a scream out of him that he'd had no intention of letting loose. It wasn't long before his vision was a blur of bright colors, his eyes watering as they were whipped by the wind.

When the ocean beneath them was replaced with air and the sky grew closer and the closer and the horizon more expansive, Link decided it was a good time to shut his eyes. He tried not to think about how high they were going, though he certainly noticed the temperature change. How could he not? The heat on the Great Sea was so oppressive that he hadn't had a real break from it since he arrived.

Link allowed his curiosity a tiny peek and instantly regretted it. They were very high. Too high. Even though his vision was a swirling mess he could tell that there was a barrier of clouds below them and nothing but the bright blue sky and glaring sun above. Vertigo struck him hard, and he clutched the sides of the boat harder.

Suddenly the swirling mass of wind supporting them died, leaving them floating in the air. For a moment they were suspended there, held in place by an invisible force. And in an instant it all changed. For a moment he wasn't just suspended in the sky, he was flying. For a moment he was clutching soft, durable feathers, not hard wood.

He gasped as the winds returned with a vengeance and continued to spin the boat, making him question whether he'd seen anything at all. The world was still spinning out of his control. Of course he hadn't seen anything.

Deciding it was better to keep his eyes closed, Link screwed his eyes shut once again, bracing for the impact that was sure to come when they hit the water below. They were hitting water right? Link silently uttered a prayer to the goddesses, hoping it wasn't too late for such things.

Later, he couldn't tell exactly how much later, he felt the sailboat slowing its spin and the dissipating of the winds around them. Link didn't trust it, not for a second.

He heard Kid laugh. "You can open your eyes now."

Adrenaline still pumping hot in his veins, Link slowly peeked open one eye and then the other. Despite the fact that they were no longer moving, his vision was still spinning which wasn't helping his stomach settle in its rightful place.

"You…" Link said, pointing an unsteady finger at his counterpart who didn't seem to be disoriented at all but that could have just been a byproduct of Link's own disorientation. "I don't trust you anymore. What kind of ride was that?"

Kid smiled. "You have Epona. I have cyclones."

"And I prefer Epona," Link announced, trying in vain to blink away his dizziness. "Aren't you dizzy at all?"

"Sure I am, but it's not so bad once you get used to it," Kid said, slipping the wind waker out of his belt.

Link straightened as best he could, suddenly alert. "What are you doing now?" If Kid summoned another one of those things…

"I'm just changing the wind direction so the others can get here faster," his counterpart answered. "But if you want another ride I guess I could-"

"No! Don't you dare," Link warned him, trying to sound as stern as possible but failing miserably in his panic. It was just as well. Kid's good mood was contagious and he'd hate to ruin it.

"What if I did?" Kid tested, tapping his chin with the wind waker as if he was seriously contemplating it.

"Then I'd abandon you and you'd have to go shopping by yourself."

Faux horror alighted on Kid's face. "Oh no! Anything but that!"

They both burst into laughter then and anything else they tried to say was incoherent nonsense which only succeeded in making them laugh harder. Once they'd somewhat composed themselves, Kid used the white baton to redirect the wind, much like a maestro would conduct an orchestra. As a strong wind blew past them, Link couldn't help but put a hand to his head to ensure his cap wouldn't be blown away. It was a miracle that it had even stayed in place during their little venture with the cyclone.

"I thought we were already here. Where are we going?" Link wondered, as Kid turned the boat away from the docks, which did not meet his expectations now that he had a good view of them. The docks in sight were small and only two vessels bobbed in the waves nearby. Compared to Kid's humble sailboat, they were large but compared with Tetra's ship, the boats docked at the island were dwarfs.

"We are here, but Tetra always docks at the back of the island so we might as well too. It'll be easier that way," Kid explained.

Link said nothing. He supposed Kid knew what he was talking about so he didn't complain and waited patiently while Kid guided the red boat, whose bow resembled a dragon more than it did a lion in Link's opinion, to a small cove on the other side of the island.

Link tried to contain his eagerness to escape the dragon boat as they cruised to a stop in the quaint little cove, but he was sure that some of it showed. Even though he'd only been away from solid land for a day or two it still seemed far too long. Being whisked away by a cyclone didn't exactly help one feel closer to the ground either. Fortunately for him, Kid invited him to get out so the sail could be lowered and stowed away without much hassle.

Once Link stepped out of the boat and onto the sand, he noticed the broken rock.

"What happened there?" Link inquired, pointing to the damaged cliffside that made up the cove.

"Tetra's crew," Kid answered without looking up from his work. "I thought we told you about that."

Link furrowed his brow, trying to recall the conversation but came up empty. "No, I don't think you did."

"Oh, well, long story short they got drunk, went looking for us, mistook a bomb for a candle and kind of blew up the tunnel," Kid summed up.

"Ooookay," Link said, drawing out the word as he absorbed this new information. Tetra's pirates were still something of an enigma to him. He couldn't figure out whether to be intimidated by them or amused. Not to mention that their relationship with Tetra was an odd one. At times they seemed like workers and Tetra their boss. At others they were like a big dysfunctional family, the members' exact roles never quite clear.

Nonetheless, Link could visibly see that Tetra was in her element so to speak. She was far more comfortable now that she had her boys back and could boss them around to her heart's content without any sort of defiance. Looking back, Link almost laughed out loud as he realized that she'd been trying to do the same to him a week ago. Of course, all of her attempts at intimidation had failed miserably, for he had battled things far scarier than her.

"Ready to do some shopping?" Kid's question pulled him out of his thoughts, and Link turned to his counterpart who had climbed out of the boat and was already near the end of the cove.

Link nodded. "Lead on."

The island wasn't big, he'd gathered that much from just looking at it. But he hadn't realized just how small it was until he was trailing behind Kid, trying to absorb as much of his new surroundings as he could without lagging behind too much.

Aside from the two of them, there was only one other person in sight and the man didn't spare them so much as a glance, obviously more interested in the three pigs he was feeding than them.

The grand arch ahead of them appeared to contain some type of writing etched into it, though he couldn't make heads or tails of the symbols. The written language of the Great Sea was so unlike the written language of Hyrule that he found it hard to believe they were really the same one.

He'd only taken two steps beyond the gate when it hit him. Coming to a halt, he brought a hand up to his nose in attempt to mask the odd smell. It was sickly sweet, like rotting fruit, except it was mixed with other strange, equally pungent odors he couldn't identify. Chemicals maybe?

"Kidwhatisthatsmell?" Link asked as quickly as he was able.

Kid stopped and turned around, a puzzled expression on his face as he tried to figure out what Link had said. After a few seconds, he gave up. "What?"

After steeling himself for the smell to assault him with a vengeance, Link let out the breath he was holding and repeated himself, only slightly slower this time. "What is that smell?"

The puzzled expression didn't leave his counterpart's face, and Link watched as Kid looked around, trying to pinpoint what the source of said smell could possibly be.

Kid snapped his fingers. "Oh! I know what it is."

Link motioned for him to continue since he didn't want to open his mouth and inhale whatever invisible fumes were in the air.

"It's the potion shop," Kid declared, pointing at a door a few feet away with a wooden sign before it. While he didn't know what the sign said, he did know that he wanted no parts of the shop. Not only because of the smell, but because the guy that was crudely drawn onto the sign looked like he was high on something, namely whatever was in the bottle he was holding.

"Tell me we don't have to go in there," Link pleaded.

"We do but if you can smell it now, you probably shouldn't go in there. The place is filled with fumes," Kid informed him.

"And you trust this potion maker guy?" Link wondered, taking a step back, partly in fear of Kid's answer and partly in an attempt to distance himself from the shop.

Kid shrugged. "Well … yeah. His potions work."

'Just because they work doesn't mean they're safe.' If he wasn't concerned with breathing in too much of whatever was emanating from the potion shop he would have said so. Instead he just raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Um…why don't you give me the money, and then I'll go get what we need." Kid offered. "Do you need your bottles filled too?" Link was about to shake his head no, he most certainly did not need his bottles filled with whatever concoctions originated from that shop, but then he realized it probably wouldn't be wise. Foul smelling or not, medicine was medicine. If he needed it later and didn't have it…

Sighing in defeat, Link wordlessly dug around in his pouch until he found the empty bottles stored there and handed them to Kid along with the wallet full of rupees that Zelda had given him.

"I'll be fast," Kid promised, turning and running to the shop he'd indicated earlier without bothering to stow away the items Link had handed him first. Link was sure he was gone from the vicinity by the time Kid managed to wrestle the door to the potion shop open. It was bad enough with the door closed. Suddenly he was very glad that he didn't have to step foot in the place.

After some backtracking, Link found a short stone wall to sit on. It, along with another low wall of stone, lined only a small section of the path which he found odd. It was like someone stopped building it out of boredom, or possibly, they realized there was no point to it, as Link certainly couldn't discern one.

As he waited for his head to clear, Link couldn't help but let his eyes wander. The heart of the island appeared to be very compact, the buildings close together, reminiscent of the architecture in Hyrule Castle Town. Though his view was obstructed by a large building, Link could just make out a windmill beyond it, turning with the wind. If he concentrated, he could almost hear its timbers creaking from here. Besides the windmill, unscalable buildings, and arched gateway, Link quickly found that there wasn't much to look at, at least from where he was sitting.

Even though he knew he shouldn't be, he was unnerved by the peacefulness of the island. It was so quiet, and for being a merchant isle it was strangely devoid of life. He'd expected to be greeted by a large port town, complete with sailors at the docks, children playing games and adults running errands. Instead he'd been greeted with a humble little island, nearly as remote as the other islands he'd been to thus far.

Despite the proximity of the buildings to one another, Link knew that this was not Castle Town. It wasn't even close. Literally. From the sea chart Link had seen of the Great Sea, he knew that the place where the castle was buried beneath the sea wasn't exactly close to Windfall which meant that this town couldn't have ever been the bustling town he knew.

Looking around, Link noticed a shop behind him. From the painted sign on its awning Link could only conclude that it was a bomb shop. The only bomb shop he knew of in Hyrule was Barnes's and that was in Kakariko Village.

'Maybe this place used to be Kakariko Village,' he mused. Then another thought hit him, something that the ancient talking tree had told them, that people in his world had counterparts in this one and vice versa. What if Barnes's counterpart was running that bomb shop? Link had the sudden urge to check, but then realized he probably wouldn't be able to tell anyway. What constituted a counterpart? It was sharing a soul, as far as he recalled and since he couldn't see souls, there was no way he'd be able to tell just by looking at a person. Still…

"'Hoy!" a voice snapped him out of his reverie and his eyes immediately sought out the source. It didn't take long for his gaze to settle on two little girls running towards him.

'Geez, I hope they don't think I'm Kid. We should have thought this through more…' Link thought, watching the girls warily as they stopped in front of him, gasping for breath.

"Hah … have you seen any bees around here?" one of them asked breathlessly, brushing hair that had been shaken loose from her ponytail out of her face.

"Um ... no," Link replied, inwardly wincing as the girls' hopeful faces fell. He hurried to make amends, thinking fast. "But I'm sure there are some by those flowers over there." Link pointed out the patch of flowers he'd noticed earlier and the children turned to look.

"Oh, no! Not honey bees!" the other girl exclaimed, shaking her head and smiling as if he'd said something silly.

"We're talking about the Killer Bees," her friend chimed in.

The blonde nodded eagerly. "So? Have you seen them?"

"No, but why do you need to find the uh…killer bees?" Link asked, hoping the girls were just playing a game. Their next words assured him that it was indeed a childish game.

"Because they stole our rupees!" the brunette huffed, stomping her foot to punctuate the direness of the situation.

"Yeah! Meanies." The second girl pouted and for a second Link thought she was about to cry.

Her chestnut haired friend put an arm around her shoulders. "It's okay, Potova, we'll get them back." She then turned to him, smiling sweetly. "Thanks anyway, mister.

The formerly dejected child brightened. "Yeah, thanks! And be extra careful with your wallet, there are thieves around!"

Before Link could reply the girls ran off, and he was left feeling very confused and vaguely unsettled. He'd never heard of killer bees before, much less bees that stole rupees, but from his experience with the Great Sea, he couldn't exactly write anything off as too weird to be true.

By the time Kid returned, Link had managed to convince himself that killer bees were extremely dangerous and he'd just let two little girls run off to their deaths. As Kid handed him four bottles filled with potion, he had to ask if only to ease his own conscience.

"Is there any chance that giant bees are going around stealing-" He was cut off abruptly by Kid's laughter.

"Hey! I'm serious!" Link insisted, which only made his counterpart laugh harder.

"You…had me…at giant bees!" Kid choked out between giggles.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, I'm hilarious," Link conceded, rolling his eyes. This world was making a fool of him. "Now answer the question. Are. There. Giant. Bees. Stealing. Rupees?"

"Where'd you hear that?" Kid asked once he'd regained his breath, still unable to wipe the amused smile off his face.

"Some little girls came by and told me about it," Link explained. "Well … they didn't say they were giant bees exactly, but still."

"You said bees, so I'm guessing they were talking about the Killer Bees, right?" Kid speculated.

"What the heck are killer bees?" Link demanded.

"You mean, who," Kid corrected him.

"Come again?"

"The Killer Bees. They're a group of boys that like to cause trouble," Kid clarified.

"Oh…" It was all Link could say. Seriously, how could he have known that "the Killer Bees" was code for a group of boys?! Now that he did know that, the stealing aspect suddenly made more sense. "Do they normally steal from people?"

The smile on Kid's face slowly melted into a frown. "No."

"Huh, well if those girls were telling the truth, they are now," Link announced.

Kid was silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "Where did they go? The girls, I mean?"

"That way," Link replied, pointing in the general direction he recalled them running off in.

"Okay, c'mon." Kid motioned for him to follow.

"Are we going to help them?" he wondered, sliding off of his seat on the wall.

"Sort of," Kid replied.

Link was relieved when the younger boy led him up a slope to the left rather than through the gate. After trudging up a wooden walk and passing under a smaller arch, they emerged into a square of some sort. He spotted the girls walking nearby with their backs to them. Kid saw them too and cupped his hands over his mouth to amplify his voice.

"Joanna! Potova!" The girls stopped in their tracks, whirling around. Kid gestured for them to come closer and after a slight hesitation, they did.

"Wanna find the Killer Bees?" Kid inquired.

The girls' eyes widened and they shared a glance as if to confirm that they'd both heard the same thing. Turning back to Kid, they exclaimed, "Yeah!"

Kid then launched into an explanation of where each member of the Killer Bees was hiding and how to catch them. Once he was finished the little girls stared up at Kid in awe for a few moments before running off and throwing a couple of elated thank yous over their shoulders.

"How do you know where they are?" Link wondered.

Kid shrugged. "I just guessed. They hid there when I played hide and seek with them before." Nothing more was said on the matter and the two of them continued walking, though Link had no idea where it was they were headed.

When a large open air shop came into view, Link was sure that that was their destination but his counterpart proved him wrong by making a beeline for a set of wooden steps. The sign outside of it showed what appeared to be a steaming cup of coffee or tea. A café? A bar?

When he stepped inside the building he was relieved to find only warm smells of fresh food greeting him. It helped cleanse the scent of salt water and sweat and seagulls and whatever else he'd picked up near the potion shop from his nostrils. He was pretty sure it was poisonous. Even if it wasn't, he didn't look forward to drinking any of those concoctions. If he was lucky, he wouldn't have to.

The two of them were barely able to take two steps before they encountered the line, or rather, the cluster of people who were struggling to maintain some semblance of a queue. Both he and Kid moved around, craning their necks to see past the people crowding the steps. Burly sailors and irritable women crowded the narrow space, and by the sounds of it, the serving counter as well. So this was where all the people were.

"What's going on?" Link asked. He meant for Kid to answer him but instead the woman in front of them turned around. She was quite young, mid-twenties by the look of it, and the worry lines that creased her forehead seemed very out of place.

"You don't know? It's just awful! They've raised the prices again. No one can afford it but the rich."

As if he'd been listening to the young women's explanation from the other side of the closed door, a man sporting clothes that were much more elegant looking than anything the rest of the people were wearing entered with a cane in hand.

"Move, urchin!" screeched the man, brandishing his cane at Kid who just so happened to be in the man's path. Kid glanced over his shoulder, surprise alighting on his face. He scrambled back out of the way but not before the ghastly looking man rapped one of his legs sharply with the cane.

Kid hissed in pain, crouching down to rub his sore leg and shooting a glare at the man as he hobbled his way past.

"Hey!" Link called after the wealthy man who was dealing out the same treatment to any other customers who were in his way.

"Shhh!" Kid shushed him without looking up. "Don't."

"Why not? He just called you an urchin and hit you. I think I have a right to yell at him for it. He can't go around treating people like that." As he spoke, he tried to keep his voice quiet, even, but it was hard. People really infuriated him sometimes, thinking they were special.

"He can 'cause he's the mayor of Windfall," Kid muttered, straightening and resting his back on the wall. "If you start messing with him, he'll throw you into the jail."

"How did someone like him ever get to be mayor?" Link mumbled, leaning against the wall in frustration as he was forced to listen to the irritating shouts of the man that thought himself more important than everyone else.

"He got rich," Kid stated as if that explained everything.

Link supposed it did in a way, but money wasn't everything. Obviously this man hadn't learned that yet.

It was then that the uproar started. It had been steadily building as people were first denied what they came for, and by the time Kid and Link had entered it had been an unhappy hum. Now it exploded as the greedy mayor caused mayhem, purchasing all the food he could and still having money to spare.

"Come on." Kid sighed, pushing off from the wall and taking the couple steps to the door. Link followed his counterpart out of the building and down the steps, away from the chaos, though it wasn't completely stifled. He could still hear the protests from outside.

"Are we not getting anything?" Link asked.

"Not right now we aren't," Kid replied. "It'll settle down later and if it doesn't then Tetra and her men can handle it."

They walked in silence for a few moments before Link decided to ask the question that had been burning a hole in his brain. "Has it always been like this?"

"No," Kid mumbled, kicking a nonexistent pebble in the dirt. At least Link thought it was nonexistent. He couldn't see anything but a small cloud of dirt fly up as a result.

"Oh … well, what happened?" he wondered.

"I wasn't fast enough," Kid stated, anger in his tone, but Link knew it wasn't directed at him. "I let Greatfish Isle get destroyed. It used to be a huge farm so it was our main source of food, but not anymore."

"Where's it coming from now?"

"Nowhere," Kid mumbled as if he didn't want Link to hear, but of course he did. His hearing was too sharp to miss much of anything.

"Can't you guys make a farm somewhere else? Even if it's not a full-fledged farm, at least a garden or something?" Link suggested.

Kid shook his head. "Wouldn't work. Nowhere else has fertile land. The only place that's good for growing food now is Forest Haven but we can't use it."

"Why not?"

"Because it belongs to the Great Deku Tree and the Koroks."

"And they won't let you have a farm or something there knowing what happened?" Link inquired, incredulous. The Deku Tree they'd met in Hyrule had been kind. He couldn't see such a kind spirit denying the humans help.

"Nope, the Great Deku Tree claims we'll ruin the land and it'll end up like Greatfish someday," Kid explained. "Even if he did let us turn it into a farm, we'd never be able to get the animals back."

"But I saw pigs here earlier," Link refuted.

"Greatfish had more than just pigs. They had cuccos and cows and probably more than that."

Link opened his mouth to offer some sort of solution, but quickly closed it, realizing he didn't have one.

"I know we need to find Ghirahim and deal with him but … Tetra and I … we need to find a new Hyrule soon. If we don't, I don't think anyone will be staying alive for very long." Kid hung his head, and Link couldn't help but wonder what happened to the cheery boy he'd stepped onto the island with.

Suddenly, he knew exactly what the quietness of the island was. It was fear. A fear that was so great no one wanted to address it, in hopes that if they forgot it, it too would forget them and disappear. But problems didn't work that way. They got worse, angrier the more they were ignored. And sometimes even when they were given attention, but they never got better. Not that way.

"Let's just take one problem at a time, okay?" Link advised, putting a hand on his counterpart's shoulder and wishing he could say something else. Something that would fix everything. But he couldn't. No words could mend this.

Kid didn't seem convinced but he gave a small nod anyway, and Link let his hand fall back to his side, knowing it wasn't doing any good either. "What else does that list of yours say? There must be something else we can get without having to go back there."

Kid unfolded the piece of parchment that had previously been crushed tightly in his fist and quickly scanned it. "Bombs. We can get those cheaper from Beedle."

"The guy you told me about that runs a shop ship?" Link recalled.

Kid confirmed his recollection with a nod and the two of them made their way to the docks, taking the alternate route so as to avoid the wicked potion shop.

As they neared the water Link didn't see any sign of a different boat. The two ships that were in the harbor were still there, just as silent and lonely as they were when they'd arrived at the island. The only difference was the presence of a young girl perched on the edge of the dock, legs crossed primly.

"Hi, Mila," Kid greeted her once they reached the docks. She gave a small gasp as if he'd startled her out of her thoughts and snapped her head up to look at him.

"Oh, it's you..." Mila said wistfully. "Hi."

"Have you seen Beedle's shop ship recently?" Kid questioned her.

"Not for a while now," Mila replied, redirecting her gaze to the water.

"Are you on break or something?" Kid wondered.

"Not at all," Mila huffed, sticking her freckled nose in the air. "I quit."

This statement startled his counterpart into speechlessness for a few seconds. "W-what? Why would you do that?" Kid interrogated her, seeming more distressed over the matter than the girl was. "I thought you needed the money." Again with the money. Just how bad was it?

"I do, but Zunari hasn't been getting any business lately. No one has money for frivolous things anymore," Mila claimed, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind a pointed ear. So she was a Hylian too. Now that Link thought about it, he had yet to see a person with rounded ears. Did the goddesses only spare Hylians when they flooded the kingdom?

"It's fine, though," the girl assured him. "I help the sailors dock and such now, which reminds me … how'd you even get on the island? Where'd you dock? Around back like those horrid pirates?"

Suddenly reluctant to answer, Kid just bit his lip.

"Hmph. That's what I thought," Mila muttered, rolling her eyes. A flash of red flew through the air and landed in her lap. Only when she picked it up did Link realize it was a rupee. His eyes went to Kid for an explanation. Did he think giving this girl money would fix everything? No. His counterpart was smarter than that. He probably just wanted to do whatever he could. One problem at a time, Link had said it himself.

"What's this for?" the girl wondered, examining the red rupee in her hand and glancing quizzically at Kid.

"Payment for being a weirdo and not docking where I'm supposed to," Kid supplied.

The girl smiled wryly and flipped the rupee back at him like a coin. "If I charged every weirdo I came across, I'd be rich again."

"Oh, well, take it anyway," Kid ordered, tossing the money back to the girl.

"I don't think so." The girl shook her head and returned the rupee to Kid. "I'm not a thief, you taught me that."

"It isn't stealing if I'm giving it to you," Kid pointed out.

"It is if you're giving it to me for no reason. I haven't done anything for you so you shouldn't be paying me," she countered, seeming insulted by how dumb she thought Kid was being.

"Will you take it if I say it's a gift?" Kid tried. His counterpart really wasn't going to take no for an answer. Mila, it seemed, had yet to realize this.

"Nope," the girl refused.

"Why not?" Kid demanded to know.

"Because it's not my birthday, and it isn't any holiday I know of either so it can't be a gift," she reasoned. "Oh, and before you say anything else, I don't take charity either."

Kid frowned, visibly frustrated. Just when Link was going to speak up, Kid's eyes brightened with the promise of an idea.

"What if I said you could help us?" Kid wondered.

"Then I'd consider it," Mila answered. "What do you need help with?"

"We're here trying to do some shopping but we can't get into the Café Bar to buy anything. Do you think you can get us in?"

"Of course I can." Mila declared with unwavering confidence.

Kid made to give her the crimson currency but she waved a finger at him. "Ah, ah, not yet. I haven't done a thing for you. You'll pay me for my services afterwards and not a second before."

"Fair enough," Kid conceded, putting away the rupee. Movement in Link's peripherals caused him to glance at the ocean. A decorated ship was approaching the dock.

"Is that the ship?" Link asked. His counterpart turned to look and then quickly turned to address Mila.

"Do you mind if we stop at Beedle's first?"

Mila motioned for him to go ahead. "Do whatever you want. I'll be here as long as a better job offer doesn't come around while you're gone." She smiled, but Link had a feeling that she wasn't joking.

The shop ship drifted to a stop near the end of the dock. Kid was first to board, followed by Link. Stepping inside the ship, they were welcomed by a tan, shirtless young man that could only be the proprietor of the shop.

As Kid started talking to Beedle and making his purchases, Link couldn't help but notice the businessman's uncanny resemblance to Coro. Both were dark skinned and seemed to have an affinity for doing business shirtless. Beedle was also very friendly, just like Coro. However, Beedle seemed to be more successful than Coro, as he had more wares to sell and had apparently constituted a membership policy. In fact, thanks to Kid's membership, they managed to get bombs and arrows for a great deal.

As they exited the shop, Link decided he liked Beedle, if only because he felt somewhat familiar. The two heroes hopped back onto the dock where Mila was waiting just as they'd left her. Once she caught sight of them, she rose to her feet, dusting off her faded dress.

"Alright boys, follow me," she instructed, clapping her hands as if they were animals that needed to be rounded up. She led the way off the docks and onto the path with the two of them close behind. To his chagrin, Mila led them underneath the welcoming arch, and Link held his breath, silently urging their new guide to walk faster.

"So, Link, who's your friend?" Mila asked conversationally.

For a second he thought that she was speaking to him, and Kid must have thought so too for he remained silent as well. By the time they'd both determined who she was really talking to, Mila was already glancing over her shoulder at Kid, figuring he needed a little prompting.

"I know you don't have a brother, but you two look like brothers. If you're not related that's really creepy."

"Uh…no! We are! I mean, he's my … cousin." Link knew Kid was bad at lying but this was a whole new low. Thankfully, Mila was either daft or she wasn't paying much attention.

"Does your cousin have a name?" The question was innocent, logical, but little did Mila know that posing it was torture. A name? They most certainly couldn't tell the truth, especially now that he had a new title as Kid's cousin.

Link shot his counterpart a panicked look, and was dismayed to find a similar expression on the younger boy's face. Gesturing franticly behind Mila's back as seconds passed by far too quickly, the two of them tried with little success to come up with a solution.

"Well?" Mila huffed, obviously impatient for an answer as she stole a glance over her shoulder once again.

"It's-" Link was cut off by the fumes wafting out of the potion shop nearby as they became strong enough to elicit a cough from him.

"Fado," Kid blurted out. "His name's Fado." Link shot Kid a skeptical look to which his counterpart only grimaced. Where had his counterpart come up with that name? It couldn't have been from the Fado he knew, Link was sure he'd never mentioned him to Kid before, or if he had, not by name. Link resolved to question his counterpart about it later and let it slide for the time being.

"So strange names run in the family, huh?" Mila commented.

"Heh, yeah, I guess." Kid gave a nervous laugh, and Link just shook his head, displeased with his new name and his counterpart's lying skills. Not that he was much better at thinking on his feet like this. They really should have prepared a fake name and backstory earlier.

"Let me guess, Fado, you're from Outset too, am I right?" Mila queried.

With a quick glance at Kid, who was nodding vehemently, Link answered, "Yes."

"Hmm, thought so. It's the clothes you know? No one else wears that kind of stuff."

"Right," he agreed, hoping that Mila was finished with small talk. Unfortunately, she wasn't.

"So … Link, why'd you never tell me you had a hot cousin?"

"W-what?" Kid stammered, thoroughly shocked. Link himself nearly tripped in his bewilderment. Did she really just say what he thought she did?

Mila whirled around on her heel, walking backwards now. "No offense to you. I mean, you kind of look alike, but you're more cute and he's more … ya know."

Kid's face grew as red as the rupee he'd attempted to gift Mila with earlier and he instantly became interested in the ground. To Link's horror, the girl's attention was no longer one Kid, but on him.

"How old are you?" Mila inquired, twirling a strand of her blonde hair around her finger. Goddesses, was she flirting?

"Seventeen," Link answered reluctantly.

"I'm almost sixteen," Mila boasted, her tone indicating that he should be impressed by how close they were in age. He wasn't.

"I'm almost eighteen," Link informed her. After a short pause he added, "And I have a girlfriend."

Mila sighed and quit playing with her hair. "Of course you do." She turned back around, disinterested.

"You do?" Kid wondered, looking up at him in surprise.

"No," Link mouthed, shaking his head fiercely. His counterpart nearly gave him away by laughing, but Link glared at him, and Kid somehow managed to reign in his mirth.

Whether it was because she was cross that Link was taken or not, Mila threw open the door to the Café when they arrived, nearly hitting a few people by the sounds of it. They followed, softly apologizing in Mila's wake as the young girl pushed past people and up the stairs with her head held high.

It grew more and more clustered the closer they got to the landing, and once they were at the top even Mila had trouble plowing through everyone.

"Oi! Gillian!" Mila called once they'd more or less managed to get to the front of the displeased crowd. The woman behind the bar counter appeared to be too frazzled to hear her, but that didn't stop their hired helper.

Mila hefted herself onto the counter and the bartender certainly couldn't ignore that.

"Mila-" Gillian, Link presumed, started before she was abruptly cut off by the young girl.

"Listen, I have paying customers for you," she gestured to Kid and Link. Relief spread over the woman's face but it was quickly dashed by the uproar that followed.

"Oi! I was 'ere first!"

"Unbelievable! Don't serve them until you serve me!"

Cries of protest swelled like a monster wave in the ocean. Glares were thrown their way, and Link couldn't help but search for possible escape routes. The windows were nothing more than tiny cutouts in the walls. Even if they were bigger, it wouldn't be wise to jump from this height. The only way out was the way they'd come in.

"Oh hush up!" Mila cried, getting to her feet, so she was standing on the counter now, impervious to Gillian's protests about how she was dirtying it.

When her request failed to produce any results, Mila yelled, "QUIET!" Still, she wasn't loud enough to silence the rowdy residents of Windfall Island.

Link sucked in a breath and let out a piercing whistle. He normally used it to get the attention of the goats at the ranch, but it seemed to work on people just as well.

Mila nodded at him in thanks, and then turned to address everyone gathered in the café. "You can stop your complaining because everything you need is going to be paid for!"

"By who?" a woman demanded.

"Certainly not by you, the poorest girl on the island," another quipped, and the two women chortled at the thought of it.

Mila frowned but didn't add fuel to their fire. Instead, she pointed at Kid and proclaimed, "He's paying for it."

All eyes turned to a thoroughly shocked Kid. Just who did Mila think she was, volunteering their money like this?

"So," the former debutante continued, "if you'll all get into an orderly line so Gillian here can take your orders-" She didn't even have to finish her sentence, for the crowd quickly organized themselves, animated by the promise of instant service and free items. Free for them, that is.

Satisfied, Mila hopped down from the counter and made her way over to them, head held high.

"W-why did you do that?" Kid stuttered, still stunned from her recent performance.

"Because it's obvious that you can't get anything you want until these lovely people get what they want." Mila shrugged. "It's just how it works."

"Yeah but … I don't even know if we can pay for it. Can we pay for it?" Kid wondered, turning to Link.

"I … don't know," Link admitted. Zelda had never told him how much money she'd brought with her. Even if they could pay off the other customer's expenses, there was no guarantee there'd be enough for them to purchase what they needed. He only had about five hundred in his personal wallet, and he had no idea what Kid's contained.

"If you can't pay in full then at least do half of each person's order," Mila piped up. Kid pulled out the wallet Zelda had brought with and opened it, trying to count the currency inside. After a minute Kid looked up, closing the pouch of rupees.

"I think we'll be fine as long as no one takes advantage of this," Kid announced.

"Do half," Link urged him. If the prices were really so outrageous to warrant so much protesting from customers, the chances were that they'd end up coughing up all of their rupees before they even got to buy anything.

Unfortunately for them, offering to pay half of what was owed didn't appease most customers. The majority expected them to pay off their orders completely, as Mila had so graciously promised with her earlier proclamation.

About five thousand rupees later, by Link's count, they were finally able to purchase what they'd come for. Thankfully, the wallet Zelda had given them wasn't completely empty. It had at least a couple thousand left inside it to fund their exploits. By the time they were finished purchasing what was left on Tetra's list, however, there were only a few hundred rupees remaining.

"Think she'll be mad we spent pretty much all of the money?" Kid wondered as they waited for Gillian to retrieve the supplies they'd just purchased.

"Probably not," Link replied from where he was leaning against the bar counter. After all, it wasn't as if they'd just thrown the money into the ocean. It went to a good cause. Besides, if Zelda didn't want them spending so much of her money, she wouldn't have brought it. Right?

"This is a lot," Mila noted as she watched the pile of supplies grow. "It's not all for you, is it?"

"No," Kid admitted.

"Let me guess, it's for those pirates," Mila said, contempt clear in her voice.

"What do you have against the pirates?" Link inquired, curious.

Mila gave a small laugh that held no humor. "What don't I have against them? They're the reason why I'm poor. I'd steer clear of them if I were you. They're nothing but trouble."

"I met them. They're not that bad," Link said.

"Give them time," Mila returned.

"Ahem," Gillian cleared her throat to get their attention. "I'd appreciate it if you three started carting this stuff off. I'm going to run out of room soon."

"Oh. Sorry," Kid apologized, reaching for a stack of crates on the counter. Link followed suit, hefting a barrel into his arms. As soon as he did, he knew he wouldn't be able to carry anything else. He was strong, but not that strong. Suddenly he wished he had power bracelets too, or something akin to them. It would make transporting everything to the cove a heck of lot easier.

The three of them struggled down the stairs, each burdened with supplies. Mila, since she wasn't carrying anything nearly as heavy as the two of them, was able to provide aid as they descended the stairs, and they were soon on the way to the cove.

After a while, Link lost track of how many times they trekked back and forth between the cove and the Café Bar. Suffice it to say that by the time they were done, they were all out of breath. The sea breeze stopped cooling them after the third trip to the hidden retreat at the back of the island, and Link was completely regretting his decision to not retrieve cooler clothes from Ordon when he'd had the chance.

"How long until Tetra and the others get here?" he asked, hoping it wasn't long.

Kid finished handing the red rupee he'd promised to Mila and looked up. Squinting at the sky his counterpart said, "I'd say it's been about … an hour and a half since we got here, so we have at least an hour more to wait."

While Link wasn't the most impatient person in the world, sitting outside in the heat didn't make waiting any more appealing. The island had to have some kind of indoor activity they could whittle away time with. Still, they couldn't very well leave the supplies out in the open. Someone would surely steal them.

"Hey, Mila," Link called to the girl that was slowly slinking away, red rupee in hand. Link took a purple rupee from his wallet and held it up so she could see it. A pang of guilt washed over him as he witnessed her cerulean blue eyes widen, glittering with need. "If you agree to sit here and make sure no one takes any of our stuff, then you can have this."

"Agreed!" Mila chirped happily. "I'll make sure nothing happens to your things." She then plopped down in the sand amongst all of the crates, boxes, and barrels full of goods as if to prove it.

"Where do you want to go?" Kid asked him as they strolled away from Mila and back towards the heart of the island.

"I have no idea. What's there to do here besides shopping?"

Kid was silent for a few moments as he thought. "Want to play a game?"

"Does it involve running around outside?" Link queried.

"No."

"Then sure."

Kid led him back to the square and into the large building that sustained the windmill. Immediately he could see the game that Kid was referring to, though he had no idea how it worked. A cannon, obviously, hopefully, fake, was pointed at a grid of squares suspended from the ceiling. Beyond it was a painted sky and sea and a cardboard ship that oddly resembled Tetra's.

The only other person in the room, a man, was slouched behind a small table, looking like he'd given up on life long ago. Their presence didn't do anything to change his expression and he continued impatiently drumming his fingers on the table top, staring off into space as they approached.

"Hi," Kid greeted. The man peered down his nose at Kid, as if just noticing him for the first time.

"Hey. Welcome," the man returned the greeting his voice a monotone that contested with Fi's. "It's ten rupees per game for kids. You wanna play or what?"

Kid nodded, handing the man a yellow rupee.

"Yeah, OK. Then, uh…AHEM!" The dull man cleared his throat, pocketing the rupee. Straightening, he swept a colorful cardboard cutout from behind his table and held it up to his face in one fluid motion.

Suddenly all dullness was replaced by an enthusiastic performance as the man took on the role of an admiral, adopting a strange accent and incorporating sound effects as he explained the "situation" and the rules of the game. After he was finished, Kid confirmed that he was up to the task of protecting the island from the squids and moved over to the cannon.

Link followed him, eager to see if his counterpart could win. As far as he'd gathered, it was a game of luck, not skill.

Kid shot the corners first, being met with a sploosh from the proprietor, every time. After a few more misplaced bombs, the man shouted, "Kaboom!" and a brightly colored explosion mark dominated the square he'd struck instead of an X. Kid hesitated, obviously thinking. He then directed his next shot to the right of where he'd just scored a hit. Kaboom! He kept going. Kaboom! One more to the right. Kaboom! One squid down. Two to go.

Kid explored the grid then, sending off experimental shots until finally he struck gold again. His next shot, however missed, but he redeemed himself and hit another spot and then another. Only the small squid remained.

"Kid, you only have two shots left," Link warned him.

"I know." Kid gritted his teeth, eyes searching the board as if doing so would reveal to him where the last squid was hidden. After a few seconds he decided and fired a square close to where he'd found the medium sized squid.

"Sploosh!" the man cried. Sighing heavily in defeat, Kid shot a random square to end it.

The grid lit up, revealing the last squid's location and Kid groaned in frustration. It had been hiding by the larger squid, not the smaller one.

"Oh, bad news, uh sailor. The enemies…have retreated. Or something," the man announced, dropping his act and returning to his disinterested state. "It's ten rupees per game for kids… Wanna try again?"

"Yes!" Kid answered eagerly, practically shoving ten rupees into the man's hands. Kid jumped back into the game with a vengeance, determined to win. He'd been so close.

And he kept getting close. Link watched as Kid lost the second game and tried a third which didn't yield any different results. Both times he was able to find two squids, but the smallest one always eluded him.

"Let me give it a try," Link spoke up, before his counterpart could pay for another go.

Kid hesitated for the briefest of seconds before stepping aside.

Delving into his own wallet, Link removed a yellow rupee and made to hand it to the proprietor only to have the man shake his head.

"It's twenty rupees per game for adults," the man said in his monotonous voice.

'Of course it is,' Link thought, digging out another yellow gem from his wallet. This time the man accepted the money and Link moved over to the cannon where Kid was already waiting.

The faux cannon wasn't hard to maneuver where he wanted it and soon he was making random guesses, avoiding the corners because no squids were ever hidden there. After a few misses he managed to hit something and soon he'd discovered the large squid. He found the medium one soon after. All that was left was that forever elusive two-square long squid. He searched near the other squids since he'd noticed that at least two squids were always close to each other and those that he'd found weren't in the same area. Unfortunately, this strategy didn't provide him with victory, and he watched as the grid lit up, revealing that the last squid was indeed nestled in one of the corners.

"But they were never in the corners before!" Link protested, convinced now that the game was rigged. Games like this normally were.

"It's randomized every time. Sometimes they're there. Sometimes they aren't. That's why I started off hitting the corners at first," Kid piped up.

The proprietor asked if he wanted to play again, and Link just handed him twenty rupees in response. It probably wasn't smart, seeing as, between the two of them, they'd already wasted fifty rupees, but he couldn't stop now. They had to win. Just once.

Winning turned out to be extremely hard and after Link successfully lost again, Kid was insistent on trying his hand at it once more. Link let him, only because it was cheaper. It was a good thing too because Kid lost and Link doubted his luck would have been any better.

At this point they were beyond frustrated but something kept them from walking away. Whether it was their stubbornness or the hypnotic allure of the game, Link was grateful for it because that was the round that Kid won. Not only did he win, but he beat the high score using only seventeen cannonballs.

As Link watched the man hand Kid his prize, an orange rupee, an idea took shape.

"You know what this means, right?" He asked Kid.

"I got lucky?" Kid guessed.

"No, well, yes, but even better. We can win back some of the money we lost at the café!"

"You're right! Let's do it!" Kid urged him, handing him the rupee he'd won so Link could add it to Zelda's wallet.

They dove back into the game with renewed vigor. More often than not they lost but occasionally they won and a prize of fifty rupees wasn't too shabby either.

By the time they'd decided to stop they had managed to add the sum of their winnings, one thousand rupees, to Zelda's wallet. It wouldn't stop her from noticing, Link was sure, but it was something at least.

They bid farewell to the proprietor who insisted that he couldn't tell them how fun it had been for him. For the life of him, Link couldn't tell if the man was being sarcastic or not. As he followed Kid up a flight of stairs he came to the conclusion that it didn't matter.

"Where are we going now?" Link asked.

"Ferris wheel," Kid replied, opening the door at the end of the short hall and stepping outside.

"What's a ferris wheel?" Link wondered as he followed Kid outside into the heat. He hadn't noticed how much cooler it had been indoors until now.

"It's like a windmill you can ride," Kid explained.

When they came to the edge of the wooden deck Link could see that his counterpart's description rang true. What he hadn't noticed before were the gondolas attached to the rotating wheel.

"Jump!" Kid exclaimed, startling Link as he did just that. The young boy had jumped early and for a moment he thought that Kid would fall onto the red, blue, and white striped awning below. Luckily his counterpart managed to just barely land on one of the seats.

Link waited until the gondola was closer before he hopped into it and sat down across from Kid.

"So why are we riding the ferris wheel again?" Link wanted to know.

"Because it'll give us a good view of the ocean so we can see if the others are close yet," Kid answered. "Plus ... it's fun."

As the ferris wheel lifted them higher and higher Link couldn't help but agree. It was fun. Not a perilous or frustrating type of fun but a serene type of fun. The island grew even smaller the higher they rose and it was at that point that he noticed the lighthouse. It wasn't active at the moment of course, but it was there nonetheless and quite large.

"Look over there," Kid said, pulling Link's gaze away from the idle lighthouse and to the sea. Unlike the town, the ocean didn't shrink with height, it grew. He was so focused on this aspect that he almost forgot to look where Kid was pointing. A ship was sailing towards Windfall Island, and it was quite close by the looks of it.

"They'll be here soon," Kid observed, his eyes on the approaching pirate ship.

Link hummed in agreement, wishing that they could just stay on Windfall Island a while longer. It was peaceful here. Even if it was a false peace.

"We should get going. Tetra won't be happy to find Mila guarding everything, and Mila definitely won't be happy to see her," Kid spoke up as the ferris wheel took them below the rooftops once again.

"Oh, before we go, I wanted to ask you something," Link said, causing his counterpart to sit back down.

"Okay. What is it?" Kid asked.

"How did you come up with the name Fado?"

"Oh that…" Kid rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "It was just the first name I could think of that wouldn't be suspicious. Fado was the Sage of Wind before Makar, but that's not common knowledge and no one alive now ever even knew there was a Sage of Wind that died, much less his name, so I just figured it'd be a good fake name to give you. Sorry if you don't like it."

"No, it's fine," Link assured him, slightly stunned. His counterpart had put a lot more thought into the name than he'd first suspected. Briefly he wondered if the Fado that had once lived in this world had any relation to the Fado that he knew, but he was quick to shake the depressing thought from his mind.

They spent the next few rotations in silence, and Link began to regret ever asking Kid about the name. He'd obviously reopened old wounds by posing the inquiry. Eventually, sick of the silence and hoping to close the old wounds he'd inadvertently reopened, he asked Kid if they could see the island they were going to next from here. To his relief Kid happily pointed out Dragon Roost Island as they neared the peak of the ferris wheel. Even from their vantage point above the rooftops, the island was nothing but a hazy image on the horizon. The pirate ship, on the other hand, wouldn't be a dark shape on the water much longer.

After Link pointed this out to his counterpart the two of them disembarked the ferris wheel and made haste to the shady cove where Mila was waiting for them. The young girl brightened when she saw them, but Link suspected that was because she was looking forward to the payment he'd promised her. Once she had the purple rupee grasped firmly in her hand, Mila bid them farewell and left.

It was just as well, for a minute or two later the pirate ship rounded the side of the island, coming to a halt parallel to the shore. Link was already dreading dragging everything onto the ship but he needn't have worried. Tetra's crew knew exactly what they were doing.

In less than a minute after the ship had drifted to a stop they'd lowered a gangplank and soon the narrow beach bustled with activity as pirates both large and small began to transport the supplies onto the ship. Link and Kid aided them as best as they could, and Tetra even managed to convince Linebeck to help, although the man grumbled about it.

With all of them working together, they managed to get everything on board, including Kid's sailboat, in record time, and before Link knew it he was being forced to adjust once again to the motion of the ship beneath his feet.

"May I have my wallet back please?" Zelda inquired, strolling up to him with ease and holding her hand out expectantly.

"Sure," he said, taking the wallet off of his belt and dropping it into her awaiting hand. He watched as she looked down at the wallet, her expression unreadable, and then back up at him.

"What did you do?" she demanded to know.

He considered playing dumb but quickly discarded the notion. The princess wouldn't fall for any act that he put on, so he quickly explained the truth. When he finished Princess Zelda was quiet.

"Are you mad?" Link wondered.

"No," Zelda replied. "I think it's good that you helped those people. I'm just wondering how they'll help themselves later."

A sick feeling settled into the pit of his stomach, and it wasn't from the motion of the ship. Had paying for everything, somewhat against their will, helped at all? Of course it had, but it was only preventing the inevitable. Eventually those people would need to purchase food again, and maybe next time they would be able to afford it, just barely, because they'd been able to keep their money this time thanks to Zelda's wealth. Eventually though, the time would come when they couldn't afford it anymore. Eventually the food would run out entirely. How long was it until then? How long until they had nothing left?

Unconsciously, he found his gaze wandering over to his counterpart who was talking with Linebeck, laughing at something the man had said. But he wasn't laughing, not really, and that's what broke Link's heart the most.


	11. Of Meetings and Partings

"Aha!" Tetra declared triumphantly, throwing her cards down on the table in victory. "I win again!"

"You have to be cheating," Linebeck accused her. It was fair enough. She'd won every single game so far, and they had been playing since lunch. That must have been at least an hour or two ago by Kid's estimate.

"Nope. I'm just playing the game," Tetra claimed, adopting her signature wink. "Unlike this one." She nudged Kid in the side harder than necessary.

"Hey! I am playing," he protested.

"You're not trying," Tetra pointed out with a smirk.

Kid shrugged. "I don't have to try. You'll beat me either way." It was true. Tetra was exceptionally good at reading people and since his face was naturally expressive it didn't exactly take a genius to figure out if he had a good hand or not. Sometimes he wished Tetra and the pirates played card games that required less manipulation, like Go Fish. No one could cheat at Go Fish. Well … unless they lied and hid cards like usual so maybe playing Go Fish with pirates wouldn't be a good thing after all.

"Play seriously for a round and we'll see," Linebeck invited him, swiping all the cards off of the table and into the deck of cards in his hands.

"Oi! I'm the dealer," Tetra objected as Linebeck began to shuffle the deck.

"Not anymore. I have a feeling you're cheating, Missy," Linebeck said.

"Where's your proof?" Tetra challenged.

Without looking up from his shuffling, Linebeck asked, "What do you think, treasure dog? She cheating?"

"Probably," Kid answered, scooting farther away from Tetra so she couldn't take a swipe at him.

"Jerk," Tetra spat.

"There's your proof," Linebeck declared. "You wouldn't be so defensive if you were innocent."

"Yeah right," Tetra huffed.

Finished with his shuffling, Linebeck dealt the cards. Kid barely had time to glance at his hand before they were interrupted.

"Tetra, shouldn't you be captaining?" Link asked as he entered the room, his tone teasing.

"Shouldn't you be swabbieing?" Tetra countered cheekily, her eyes fixated on the cards in her hand.

"I am. I was sent down here to tell you that we're here," Link announced.

Just like that all of Kid's anxiousness returned. What if they were wrong? What if Medli wasn't at Dragon Roost? What if Ghirahim really was causing trouble and they'd just been oblivious to it? If the island was in distress, surely Valoo would have been bellowing it to the heavens. He didn't hear anything but that didn't necessarily mean anything either…

"You coming or what?" Tetra asked impatiently, snapping him out of his reverie. Kid nodded mutely, setting the cards back on the table.

"Are you coming too, Linebeck?" he asked, noticing that the sea captain hadn't moved.

"Nah," Linebeck said, waving his hand dismissively. "I don't have any business on Dragon Roost. Just get done quickly. Let's not make my ship wait too long, huh?"

"Right," Kid replied before following Tetra and Link out of the room.

"Hey, Link. If you're coming onto the island with us you'll need a cover story," Tetra piped up as they ascended the stairs.

"Already have one," Link replied without sparing a glance behind him.

"Name?" Tetra quizzed.

"Fado."

"Relations?"

"Kid's cousin."

"Island of origin?"

"Outset."

"Wrong," Tetra declared.

Link stopped and turned around. "I wasn't aware that there was a wrong answer."

"Well, there is," Tetra informed him.

"And why can't I be from Outset?" Link wondered.

"No, no." Tetra shook her head. "The problem isn't that you  _can't_  be from Outset, it's the fact that you can't possibly be from anywhere else."

Link thought about this for a few seconds before giving up. "…I still fail to see the issue. If it's as obvious that I'm from Outset as you say, then wouldn't saying I'm from Outset make my story  _more_ convincing?"

"No, because you can't be from Outset," Tetra insisted.

Link opened his mouth to protest but Kid cut him off, suddenly understanding Tetra's concern. "Your clothes. They're the same as mine and mine are customary on Outset which means yours are too. Everyone on the Great Sea knows that."

"Okay, but why's that bad?"

"Because the island's full of postmen who have been to Outset and a few of them are regulars. If we bump into them, they'll know that you don't live on Outset and then we'd need to figure out a different way to explain your clothes," Kid explained. "And… I'm not so sure there is one…"

"So change your clothes, and you can come with us. Don't change, and you stay on the ship," Tetra summed up.

"I don't really have anything normal to change into…" Link trailed off uncertainly.

"Just take off your tunic, chainmail, and hat and keep the rest on. It'll look normal enough, and then if someone asks you can say you're from Windfall," Kid suggested.

"That's … actually a really good idea," Link admitted, seeming vexed that he hadn't thought of it earlier. "I'll meet you guys in a few minutes."

"Don't take too long!" Tetra called after Link as he hurried down the steps they'd just climbed. "I want to get in and out as fast as possible!"

The two of them continued to the upper deck to await Link's arrival. It didn't take long and before Kid knew it he was standing on the shores of Dragon Roost Island. The last time he'd been here it was to retrieve Medli for their expedition. Now he just hoped that the Rito girl was here, safe.

"Is this a bomb or a flower?" Link asked, pointing to the bomb flower plant he was standing in front of.

"It's a bomb flower," Kid said.

Link quirked an eyebrow at him. "That doesn't answer my question."

Tetra marched up to the bomb flower and plucked it from the ground, instantly setting the fuse alight and smirking at Link as he jumped back in surprise. She weighed it in her hand for a few seconds before hurling the bomb away from their little group and into the shallow pool of water nearby. The bomb burst as it hit the water, kicking up a small geyser that sent water droplets raining down on them.

Three seconds later the explosive fruit grew back, and Tetra gestured to it like a magician would after pulling off a particularly baffling illusion.

"I wouldn't hit it, kick it, or step on it if you don't want to get a limb blown off," Tetra advised Link as she strolled past him. "Come on. We're wasting time."

"Why though?" Link asked Kid as he started to follow Tetra. Kid shrugged in answer. He didn't know and he'd never really questioned it, though, now that he thought about it, he probably should have.

"I am more concerned about the dragon than the explosive vegetation," Princess Zelda spoke up as they began their trek up the side of the mountain, Tetra in the lead.

"Why?" Link wondered.

"It is a dragon," Zelda stated.

"Yeah, I noticed. And those are palm trees, and those are bombs that are also plants," Link said, pointing at each object in turn and thus causing the princess to send an icy glare his way.

"Dragons aren't normal," Princess Zelda reminded him.

"Neither are bomb plants," Link pointed out.

"Flowers," Kid corrected his counterpart under his breath.

"They tend to be predatory," Zelda continued as if neither of them had said anything.

"If the dragon was dangerous do you really think anyone would be living here?" Tetra glowered.

"Valoo's a sky spirit that protects the Rito," Kid supplied upon seeing the discontented expression on Zelda's face. "He's not dangerous at all. Well … unless you pull on his tail. Or threaten the Rito, then he can be pretty dangerous."

Their little group lapsed into silence then, and it wasn't long before they came to the recently repaired bridge. It'd taken the Rito quite a while to fix it. Then again, Kid supposed they hadn't been in a big hurry to repair it anyway, seeing as Rito can fly and those who can't have their grappling hooks to bear them across the gap.

"Death Mountain," Link declared.

"Huh?" Kid wondered, glancing over his shoulder at his counterpart.

Link pointed to the steep mountain on their left. "It reminds me of Death Mountain. The shape, at least." Now that Link mentioned it, Kid could see the resemblance. Just a little bit.

"It is a volcano," Kid added, "so you might be right." They lost sight of it as they entered a small cave.

"Interesting…" Zelda mused. "Do Gorons live here too?"

"No," Kid replied, his voice echoing a little in the closed space.

"Oh goddesses! Did the Gorons evolve into Rito?!" Link exclaimed, horrified.

"Now _that_  has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Tetra proclaimed, throwing a glare over her shoulder at Link.

"Yeah," Kid agreed with none of the hostility his friend used. "The Rito evolved from Zora."

"You're kidding me right?" Link asked, gesticulating furiously at the ocean before them in disbelief as they emerged from the cave. "There's no way that's possible."

"And why not?" Tetra demanded. "What holds your rock people turning into bird people theory together?"

"Nothing aside from the fact that they live on the same mountain," Link admitted, "but that's more than you can say. Why would fish people change if the world's flooding? That puts them at a disadvantage."

"Does it? Zora can only survive in freshwater," Tetra countered.

"That is not true," Princess Zelda interjected. "Zora can exist in either freshwater or saltwater. It makes no difference."

"Then why would they change at all?" Tetra inquired, her face scrunching up in thought.

"That's what I want to know," Link said.

"I think it's because the Gods didn't want the remains of Hyrule to be discovered so they made them evolve into Rito," Kid piped up, recalling what the King of Hyrule had told him once when he'd asked. To think that the Gods had gone to such great lengths to ensure the kingdom would never be discovered, it was unnerving to say the least. At first, entering the sunken kingdom had given him a sense of foreboding, like he was defying the Gods by being there. Only later did he realize that wasn't the case.

"Why go to such lengths to keep it hidden?" Princess Zelda inquired, evidently unnerved by the thought as well.

Kid shrugged along with Tetra, but he knew the answer. Their ancestors, the ones that had climbed the mountains in order to build a new kingdom, knew of Hyrule. If the goddesses made it so easy for them to return, to see that not all of it was lost for good, many would seek to resurrect it, as Ganondorf had. Of course, they may not have wanted to do so right away, as Ganon was still a problem, but as soon as they knew he was gone, they would have jumped at the chance. And if they would have jumped at the chance then that would mean they hadn't fortified a solid way of life above the waves. If that had been so, they surely wouldn't have lasted long. It was better that they'd forgotten the kingdom, Kid decided. Living in the past didn't help anyone move forward.

They reached the end of the wooden boardwalk and entered the aerie. It was just as busy as it always was, Rito flitting about here and there, some walking briskly, eyes affixed firmly to clipboards, while others opted to fly to higher levels, in too much of a rush to use their legs.

"Is it okay to be in here?" Link whispered as he observed the controlled chaos from the doorway.

"It's fine," Tetra assured him, her tone no louder or softer than normal.

"As long as we don't get in the way," Kid added absentmindedly, his eyes searching for someone familiar. He didn't know many of the Rito personally.

"Well, thanks for the crappy help," Tetra huffed, as a Rito she'd attempted to get information out of barely glanced at her before moving on.

"Tetra, don't bother people," Kid said.

"How am I supposed to gather any information if I don't?" she shot back.

"Be more polite, first of all," Link advised her.

"Oh shut it. Like you know anything." Tetra rolled her eyes.

"Let's try to look for Quill," Kid suggested. The postman had helped him on numerous occasions before so now shouldn't be any different.

"He's probably already out delivering letters," Tetra said as Kid began to lead the way up the spiral ramp set into the wall.

"There are more Rito here than normal. Either they're just getting in or they're just going out," he remarked.

Nothing more was said as they ascended the spiral ramp to the upper floor of the aerie. Just as he'd suspected, Rito were gathered around the mail center counter, stowing letters in their delivery bags. Kid didn't see Quill among them, so he led the group outside where the takeoff platforms were.

A quick scan of the area informed Kid that the postman he was trying to catch was just about to leave.

"Quill!" Kid called, breaking into a run to reach the Rito before he took to the sky. If his cry hadn't alerted the postman, his hurried footsteps certainly did. Quill straightened and turned around, his red-eyed gaze landing on Kid almost instantly.

"Ah, Link. Hello," Quill greeted him. "How are you?"

"Hi. I'm good," Kid replied. "Sorry to bother you like this, but I need to talk to you."

"In that case let's converse elsewhere, shall we? We're in everyone's way like this," Quill reminded him, nodding to the postmen that were streaming out of the mail center, impatiently waiting their turn to use the runway they were on.

"Oh, right," Kid agreed, following Quill closer to the side of the mountain where Tetra, Link, and the princess were waiting.

"Friends of yours?" Quill wondered upon noticing the others.

"Yes. This is Zelda, Fado, and uh… you remember Tetra," Kid introduced, pointing to each one in turn.

"Of course I do. Not many can forget meeting Miss Fearsome Pirate," Quill quipped.

Link coughed and turned away, poorly masking his amusement.

"Shut up or I'll kill you!" Tetra screamed at Link, trying to shove him off balance but failing.

"Anyway…" Kid interjected, attracting Quill's red-eyed gaze once again. "I was wondering if you've seen anything weird around the Great Sea lately."

"I'm afraid you'll have to specify," the postman returned.

Kid bit his lip, pondering how to do just that. Thankfully, Tetra had finished trying to berate Link for laughing at her and was willing to participate in the conversation. "Weird like monsters popping up where they don't belong. Strange occurrences like…" she paused, taking a moment to think, "freak storms? Unusual creatures causing trouble? That kind of thing."

After taking a moment or two to think, Quill said, "Nothing like that has come to my attention."

"What good are you?" Tetra muttered and Kid elbowed her in warning, earning him an elbow in his own side.

"Alright. How about Medli?" Kid asked, reclaiming the postman's attention.

"What about her?"

"Is she here?" Kid held his breath, heart thudding hard in his chest in anticipation of Quill's response.  _'Say yes. Say…'_

"Yes," Quill answered. "I believe she's with Lord Valoo at the moment."

"Could you get her for us, please?" Kid requested. "We need to speak with her."

"Of course. Where should I tell her to meet you?" Quill inquired.

"Uh … tell her to come to where she normally practices," Kid said. It was close enough and private.

Quill bid them farewell, and they were soon left alone, or as alone as they could be given where they were, but the other Rito didn't pay them any mind, so it was just as well.

Kid led them the edge of the boardwalk and pulled out his grappling hook.

"Do either of you know how to use a grappling hook?" Kid inquired, turning to Link and Zelda.

When they both shook their heads Kid set to teaching them, first how to coil the grappling hook, then how to hold it, how to spin it, how to throw it, and so on. After a few minutes of explaining he had each of them practice.

"This is taking forever," Tetra complained from where she was leaning against the side of the mountain, utterly bored and eternally impatient.

"Demonstrate for them then," Kid invited her, taking the coiled grappling hook from Zelda and holding it out for the pirate captain to take.

"Gladly," Tetra said, snatching the grappling hook out of his hand and purposely spinning it in a wide arc so he was forced to move or get hit. Adjusting her hold on it, Tetra twirled it in her hand a little while longer before aiming at the grappling hook post secured to the mountainside and letting it fly. The clawed hook wrapped around the post, and with a small hop Tetra was airborne, swinging over the gap. She landed safely on the other side and effortlessly dislodged the grappling hook. After coiling it, she threw it back over, and Kid reached out to catch it, narrowly missing having the hot metal of the hook graze his cheek.

"I can do that," Link proclaimed with certainty.

Kid smiled and handed the grappling hook off to Link. "Go for it."

His counterpart was quick to grasp the concept, and Kid found it hard to believe that he'd never done it before. Link threw the grappling hook and it wrapped itself securely around the post. Not to be shown up by Tetra, Link leaped off the platform and let the rope carry him across, disembarking on the other side much like Tetra had. It took him a couple tries to get the grappling hook to release the post but he eventually got it and tossed it over.

Kid grabbed the grappling hook out of the air and offered it to the princess, whose silence spoke volumes.

"Don't worry, princess!" Link called from the other side. "If you fall I'll catch you!"

"Don't joke about that," Zelda ordered him, unsmiling as she accepted the tool from Kid.

"About what? You falling or me catching you?"

"Both." Princess Zelda twirled the grappling hook, missing twice before getting it to wind around the post. On the other side Link and Tetra stepped back from the edge to give her room to land. She did so without a hitch and soon the grappling hook was back in Kid's hands.

He spun the grappling hook with practiced ease, locked his sights on the post and let it loose. No sooner than was the tool secured, Kid jumped, wincing at the soreness in his left shoulder as he soared over the gap. It seemed that his arm wasn't completely recovered from being infected just yet. Why he expected it to be, Kid had no idea.

Once he'd successfully joined his companions on the other side, they climbed a little higher.

"This is a beautiful view," Princess Zelda commented once they'd reached the top, though she dare not approach the very edge like the rest of them. Kid had to agree with her. The afternoon sun glittered on the ocean, giving the waves a silver tint. Rito could be see flying away from the island, on a mission to deliver mail to its rightful destination.

"Why is Medli with Valoo?" Link wondered.

"She's Valoo's attendant," Kid supplied.

"I thought she was a sage," Zelda cut in.

"She is," Kid replied, "but she also tends to the dragon."

"Isn't she sort of young for that?" Link wondered.

"Link, I don't know how to make you understand this but here, on the Great Sea, no one's too young for anything," Tetra declared with venom in her tone.

"That's not true," Kid refuted. "Medli has to be Valoo's attendant because…" her teacher died. He couldn't say that even though it was true. Because that was Tetra's point, wasn't it? No one was too young for anything because bad things happened all the time. Misfortune was everywhere. Children were forced into adult positions. They were forced to grow up before they were ready. It had happened to him and Tetra. Medli too. And loads of others.

"Never mind," Kid muttered, dropping his gaze to the dusty ground and silently urging Medli to hurry. Fortunately for him, he didn't have to wait long. Just as the soreness was abating from his shoulder, the Rito girl glided down to meet them, wobbling a bit as she landed.

"H-hi everyone," Medli stammered, dipping low in a bow and perking right up again. She looked to Link and the princess, tilting her head to the side slightly. "What are you doing here?" She gasped and pink tinged her cheeks as she came to the realization that what had come out of her mouth hadn't exactly been polite. "Not that I'm not happy to see you!" Medli hastily amended. "It's just that I thought … um…"

"It's okay," Link assured her with a smile. "We're here because we uh … lost."

Kid hurried to fill Medli in on the situation, more comfortable with explaining Ghirahim in his sister's absence.

"Oh that's terrible!" Medli cried once he was finished. "I'm so sorry you were trapped there. If I'd known I would have tried to get back to you."

"It's fine. We're here now," Kid said.

"What we need to know is how you got here," Tetra spoke up.

"Right. Well … Makar, Aryll, and I were in the library talking and waiting for you guys to come back. I don't know quite how long it was but these weird portals opened up behind us and pulled us in. Then I woke up here. Well, not here exactly. I mean, on the beach of Dragon Roost, and I just assumed everyone else was taken home too. I'm sorry," Medli apologized again.

Kid ignored her apology. "Those portals were only meant for you and Makar but Aryll was taken too. Is she here?"

"I'm afraid not," Medli replied. "But I'm sure she's with Makar. She has to be." Kid chose to believe that was true.

"Next stop. Forest Haven. Got it." Tetra noted.

"Is there anything else you can think of that may help us find Ghirahim?" Princess Zelda inquired.

"Not really," Medli admitted. "I-"

"MEDLI!" A shout drew their attention to the sky, and when the Rito landed Kid could see that it was none other than the Rito Prince.

"Prince Koma-"

"Here," Komali said, practically shoving an object into her hands.

She fumbled with it for a second before getting a firm grip on it and then holding it up for inspection. She gasped in surprise. Kid was surprised too. Golden feathers were hard to find just lying around.

"I fought off a Kargaroc to get that for you!" Komali declared proudly, puffing out his chest, his feathers slightly ruffled.

"You what?!" Medli exclaimed, obviously more concerned about Komali's well-being than a feather.

"Okay, that's not exactly true," the Rito boy admitted, his proud stance deflating. "I just snuck up behind it and plucked out one of its tail feathers." Medli looked horrified but Komali didn't seem to notice. "Long story short, it was  _not_  happy. It chased me around the island too many times to count before I finally managed to lose it." Kid sincerely doubted that. You couldn't lose a Kargaroc. They wouldn't stop chasing their enemy until either it or they perished. He should know. He lost one too many seagulls to them.

"That's incredibly dangerous!" Medli cried.

"It was incredibly awesome!" Komali countered ecstatically. "And you like it, don't you?"

Medli glanced down at the golden feather clutched in her pale hand. A small smile touched her lips and then it was gone.

"That doesn't matter!" she insisted. "You can't just do stuff like that, it's dangerous!"

"But Link does stuff like that all the time," Komali protested. It was then that he acknowledged Kid's presence.

"Oh, by the way I have something for you too," Prince Komali said, quickly sifting through the delivery bag at his hip and producing a letter which he handed to Kid. "You're really hard to track down, you know that?"

"Yeah, sorry," Kid apologized as he accepted the letter, glancing at it just long enough to recognize the neat, if slightly shaky handwriting. A bleating sound met his ears, and he tensed along with everyone else who recognized it.

"That's my cue," Komali announced, running for the edge, hopping onto the railing and jumping off only to come back into view a few seconds later with brown and white wings replacing his arms.

Another bleat drew Kid's attention to the Kargaroc rounding the corner. It screeched as it caught sight of the feather in Medli's hand and dove towards her. Silently cursing himself for not whipping out his bow and arrows in the first place, Kid hastily tried to open his pouch.

_Fwwp!_  Something shot past his ear, and Kid jerked his head up just in time to see the monster bird disintegrate into a cloud of smoke. Looking over his shoulder, Kid saw Link with his bow, still in position from when he'd released the arrow.

"There's another!" Tetra announced, leaning over the wooden railing and pointing. They all hurried over to see a low flying Kargaroc chasing Prince Komali. The young Rito Prince had a lead but the gap between the two was swiftly closing. He tried to shake it off his tail by climbing higher but it stuck with him, determined to see its enemy fall.

Link released another arrow, and Medli watched fearfully from the slits her fingers provided in front of her eyes. The Kargaroc didn't disappear, so Link readied another arrow and fired. This time the projectile pierced the monster bird's head and in an instant it was nothing more than a puff of smoke that the wind carried away.

Kid let out a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding along with Medli. He scanned the area for anymore threats but found none.

"Eh … sorry about him," Medli spoke up, tucking the golden feather behind her ear. "I better go. It was nice seeing you. I'll send word to you if I find out anything about that demon." With a subtle twitch of her shoulders, Medli's arms transformed into white feathered wings, and she took to the sky, flying after the reckless prince.

"Well, that was more entertainment than I hoped to get out of this trip," Tetra proclaimed, stretching her arms above her head.

"Are those Kargaroks normal?" Link wondered as he stowed his weapons away.

"Yes," Kid responded.

"What was the significance of the feather?" Princess Zelda queried.

"Golden feathers," Tetra scoffed. "Rito girls love them for some reason."

Suddenly reminded of that which Komali had presented to him, Kid became conscious of the letter in his hand and stared at his name, lovingly and carefully scribed in ink. Turning it over, Kid tore the simple envelope open, slipping out the folded parchment inside and hastily unfolding it.

_Dear Link,_

_You know you worry me, right? Of course you do, you are a smart boy. I understand you're at that age where rebellion might seem fun and what not, but I beg you, please do not pursue it! If you wanted another week with your sister, all you had to do was ask. In person would have been preferred, but I would have been satisfied with a letter of notification as well. What I'm trying to say is that I haven't heard from my grandbabies in over a week now! It has me worried greatly for both your safety and hers. Write me as soon as you get this, and while you're at it, come home. We need to talk._

_With Love,_

_Grandma_

Biting his lip, Kid stared at the letter, letting it soak in and then reread it. Halfway through his second read through, Tetra interrupted him.

"Who's it from?"

"None of your business," Kid said, twisted away from her when she made a grab for it. He should have known that Tetra made everything her business. In fact, he did know, so Kid had no idea why he was caught off guard when the pirate girl whisked the letter out of his hands.

"Give it back!" he yelled, lunging for it.

Silently reading it to herself and smirking at whatever line she was on, Tetra sidestepped him. He came at her again, and she kicked out at him.

"Can't you see I'm trying to read here?" she asked as he dodged. "Rude."

"You're rude!" Kid retorted. "That's private!" Tetra said nothing and dodged his next attempt to reclaim the letter.

"Tetra. Give it back to him. Now," Link ordered, catching her arm.

"Why do you have to ruin my fun, huh?" Tetra demanded as Kid snatched the letter from her hand and folded it, tucking it back into its envelope.

"Because it's not fun for everyone," Link replied seriously, releasing her.

"Come on. Let's go get my sister," Kid said, putting the letter in his delivery bag so he wouldn't lose it, and then pulling out his grappling hook. They made their way down to the beach in silence. It was just as well. Kid was too consumed by his thoughts to pay any attention to his companions.

As soon as they had all boarded the ship, Kid changed the wind direction. It didn't give him the satisfaction that it normally did, but he didn't really care. All he cared about was getting to Forest Haven. If the goddesses smiled on him at all, his sister would be there. If not … he didn't know what he would do. He wouldn't be able to take it if he had to go home without her and explain to Grandma that he lost her. If that didn't scream irresponsible, he didn't know what did.

To distract himself from the worst case scenario, Kid helped Niko out with whatever chores he had to do, no matter what they were. Link helped them too, and every now and then he'd try to make conversation, but Kid couldn't bring himself to reciprocate it for very long.

So as the hours passed, all Kid did was work. Even when dusk fell and dinner came and went and the moon rose and the stars in the sky were unveiled, still he sought out work. There wasn't much to do at this point, either because it was already done, or because it wasn't a job he was allowed to do, but that didn't stop him from trying anyway. On a few occasions he contemplated writing a letter home like his grandmother had requested of him but every time he tried he found that he didn't have the right words. If she hadn't worried herself into the grave by now, then his not replying for another day or two wouldn't do anymore harm. Besides, he'd probably arrive home before any letter could reach her.

The night grew later and later, but Kid did not sleep even when he was invited to by Link, Linebeck, or one of the pirates. Instead he succumbed to the thoughts he'd been avoiding for hours and watched the ocean for any sign of Forest Haven.

Eventually he must have fallen asleep on deck, for someone was roughly shaking him, telling him that they had arrived, and if he wanted to get his sister he better get a move on. Blinking away his weariness, Kid sat up and rubbed his eyes.

Sure enough, Forest Haven lay before him, as silent and green as it always was. Kid scrambled to his feet and all but jumped off the ship and onto the grass waiting below, stumbling a bit upon landing. He hastily climbed up the large grassy steps and very nearly got his head trapped in the mouth of a slobbering Boko Baba.

With barely a thought as to what he was doing, Kid whipped out his sword and beheaded the plant monster. He didn't watch as its remains shriveled and died. Kid simply moved on, hacking through any other Boko Babas that lay in his path.

Before he knew it he was up to his waist in forest water. It was a hindrance to be sure, but Kid managed to make his way through the stream to shallower water that soon gave way to grassy land.

No Koroks were in sight but he hadn't expected to see any. They were naturally reserved anyway, and it was late. They were probably sleeping somewhere up in the Deku Tree's crown.

Jogging around the base of the tree, Kid tripped and fell onto his hands and knees. Sure that it had been a root or fallen branch that caused him to fall, Kid looked behind him, only to find a small leg instead.

"Aryll!" Kid exclaimed, crawling the short distance to his sister's side. Her dress was travel worn and grass stained, her golden blonde hair a tangled mess, her once immaculate pig tails coming undone, but she appeared to be okay otherwise. His fall had jarred her awake, and she stared up at him sleepily, a tiny smile touching her lips.

"Hi, Big Brother…" Then, seeming to realize what she was seeing, Aryll's eyes widened. She sat up quickly and tackled him, wrapping her arms around his neck in an embrace that forced him onto his backside. "Link!"

Kid hugged his sister back, laughing as she began to tell him anything and everything that came to her mind. First about waking up on Forest Haven, then playing with the Koroks and being told stories by the Great Deku Tree and on and on. His sister almost made him feel silly for all the worrying he'd done. Aryll had been completely fine all along. Of course, she admitted, quietly so that any sentient life in the forest couldn't hear, that there wasn't much to eat so she was quite famished. Thankfully, that could be easily fixed.

Pulling his sister to her feet, Kid led her to the front of the Great Deku Tree and stepped on the lily pad. At prompting from the sacred tree, the oversized lily pad rose to the forest deity's eye level, water droplets sliding off the smooth surface and dripping into the shallow pool below.

Kid dipped into a respectful bow, and Aryll quickly followed his example.

"Thank you for looking after my sister," he thanked the tree.

"The pleasure was mine, Hero of Winds," the Great Deku Tree insisted. "Having her around reminded me of the age when my children of the forest still resembled human children."

Choosing to ignore the comment, for he didn't have much to offer in the way of condolences, Kid said, "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Of course, hero." He wished that almighty deities would stop referring to him as a hero. He certainly didn't feel like one.

"Um … could you send out some Koroks to scout around and see if they can find anything unusual like strange monsters?"

"Did you not vanquish the evil a while ago?" the great tree wondered.

"Yes, I did, but…" Kid bit his lip. He didn't want to panic anyone, least of all a sacred tree that was rooted to the ground for eternity. "I just … have a feeling that something might be wrong somewhere on the Great Sea, and I want to find it before it can cause any trouble."

The Deku Tree was quiet for a few moments before speaking. "I see…" Kid had a feeling that he didn't but stayed silent and patiently waited for what the forest deity would say next. "I shall send out a few of my children when I can. If they find anything suspicious I will send Makar to find you."

"Thank you." Kid bowed politely once again. "Oh, and tell Makar that I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer."

The Great Deku Tree bellowed his laughter, shaking the leaves of his canopy. "I will tell him, young hero. You should get your sister to bed. She looks quite sleepy."

He looked to his sister, only to find that the Great Deku Tree was right. Aryll was swaying where she stood, barely able to keep her eyes open. Kid took hold of his little sister's hand and the giant lily pad they were standing on descended, settling gently back into the pool of water.

He was glad. Seeing his sister so exhausted reminded him of his own fatigue, and he wasn't so sure that he could hold a coherent conversation for much longer.

As they started to their trek to the pirate ship, Kid found that he could barely manage putting one foot in front of the other. How he found the energy to drag himself  _and_  his half-awake sister onboard, he didn't know. All he knew was that one minute he was on deck, and the next he and Aryll were being ushered below to the sleeping quarters by one of the pirates. He managed to stay awake just long enough to direct his sister to the bunk that was designated as his before falling into blissful sleep.

* * *

There had been none. No nightmares. No one to startle him out of the black nothing of his dreams. No blinding rays of sun to interrupt his sleep. For the first time in what felt like a long time, he was waking up of his own accord.

Kid took a second to enjoy it, embracing the familiarity of the gentle sway of the ship and the thin sheet atop him, though it was much too stuffy in the cabin for even that. Then he opened his eyes to see the gloom of the sleeping quarters, grey light dripping in from the windows on the other side of the room.

He would have thought it dawn if not for the absence of everyone else. Kid sat up, furrowing his brow at that revelation. Even his sister was gone. His heart skipped a beat. Had his retrieving her been nothing more than a dream?

He swept his eyes over the vicinity, searching for a sign of his sister. Finally he found a lone leaf resting on the bedspread beside him, and he let out a sigh in relief. Still, he'd have to get her to clean up before they reached Outset. Returning Aryll in such a state to Grandma wouldn't go over any better than returning without her.

Brushing the leaf off of the mattress, Kid slipped out of bed. After stretching the sleep out of his limbs, he proceeded to tug on his boots. He frowned. He had no recollection of ever discarding them the night before. Then again, maybe he had done so out of habit and just didn't remember. Shrugging it off, Kid let himself out of the sleeping quarters, determined to find his sister.

Having no idea where to start looking, Kid decided to check every room he came across. As he came to the middle of the short hallway, Kid poked his head into the galley. No one in sight.

Continuing down the hallway, he soon found himself in the mess hall. Up ahead he saw Linebeck heading his way.

"Morning," Kid greeted him as they drew closer.

"You mean afternoon," the sea captain corrected him. Kid paused at that.

"Did I really sleep that long?" he wondered.

"Yes, though I don't know how. That sister of yours managed to wake us all up. Aside from you, obviously," Linebeck replied, seeming sour about that fact.

"Oh … sorry about that," Kid apologized, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Do you know where I can find her?"

"Last time I saw her she was with that look-alike of yours," Linebeck said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to try to grab some shut eye before lunch rolls around."

"Okay, thanks!" Kid called after Linebeck's retreating back.

Strolling through the mess hall yielded no signs of his sister or Link, so he progressed upstairs and poked his head in the room that Niko had turned into an obstacle course. Sure enough Aryll was there along with Link, Zelda, and Niko.

"Go, Link, go!" Aryll cheered from the sidelines, watching Link attempt the obstacle course. Kid was relieved to see that his sister had had the sense to get cleaned up, or someone had had the sense to make her. She wore the fuchsia skull-patterned dress that the pirates have given her and her short hair was devoid of leaves and grime, hanging freely about her face.

Stepping into the room, Kid joined his sister and the princess on the sidelines. Princess Zelda glanced his way and acknowledged him with a polite inclination of her head. He returned the greeting before stepping next to his sister and beginning to cheer on Link as well. Aryll paused, startled at the sound of his voice, but she quickly resumed her shouting with renewed fervor once she realized it was him.

Link glanced back at them, nearly surrendering his grip and landing on the floor in doing so. Kid waved and his counterpart returned his greeting with a smile since his hands were preoccupied. Returning his attention to the task at hand, Link continued to leap from rope-to-rope, egged on by their shouts of encouragement. Whether it was because he was invigorated by their cheering or because he was getting better at it, Link managed to get to the last rope.

That was when ticking of a clock met Kid's ears.

"Hurry up! The gate's gonna close!" Kid warned Link who was struggling to find a secure handhold on the slick rope.

"Hurry!" Aryll echoed, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation.

Link didn't bother answering them. All his attention was focused on what he was doing. As the silence separating each tick from the next grew shorter and shorter, Link gradually found a solid hold and lined himself up with the goal. The audible countdown increased in intensity and his counterpart took that as his cue to jump.

Just as Link's feet hit the platform, the gate clanged shut.

"Ooh…so close," Niko observed from behind the closed gate.

"What do you mean so close? I made it," Link said, defiant.

"Not in time," Niko pointed out.

"Not in…" Link trailed off, eyeing the gate that separated him from the buck-toothed pirate in disbelief.

"Don't feel bad. Only real pirates like me can do this anyway," Niko proclaimed, arms crossed and chest puffed out confidently.

"I wanna be a pirate!" Aryll exclaimed jovially from Kid's side.

Then, before he could stop her, Aryll darted over to the edge and jumped for the first rope.

She managed to grab it, and Kid let out a relieved breath. Too soon. A second later his sister hit the ground with a loud thud.

"Are you okay?" Kid and Link shouted their concern for her in unison.

"Yeah," Aryll replied, getting to her feet and brushing herself off.

"Don't do that again," Kid chided.

"Why not? I want to be a pirate and Niko said this is the only way," Aryll said, looking up at him.

"Yeah, but you didn't hit the button to raise the gate so it wouldn't have mattered if you made it or not," he pointed out. Aryll pouted.

"You already look the part with that dress," Link added as he approached her. "You don't need to beat this course. I don't think it proves anything anyway." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I don't even think Niko has beaten it." Aryll giggled.

"He hasn't," Kid spoke up, keeping his voice down as well.

"Have you?" Link asked.

"Not with slicked ropes."

"So this may be impossible, and I'm wasting my time?" Link concluded.

Kid shrugged. "We're sailing. There's time to waste."

"Oh! I have an idea," Aryll announced.

"Does it have to do with doing something else?" Link wondered, hopefully.

"No," Aryll replied. "But I know how you can beat the course."

"How?" Aryll motioned Link closer and he knelt down so she could whisper in his ear. Kid was just close enough to be able to make out what she was saying and he smiled along with Link. His sister was a genius.

"This is a pretty good idea," Kid commended, glancing over to where his sister was sitting cross-legged on the switch.

"Thank you," Aryll thanked him, head raised proudly.

He turned his attention back to the obstacle course, watching as his counterpart struggled through the obstacle course.

Suddenly his sister let out a gasp and he quickly turned around to see what was wrong.

"What is it?" he questioned her when his eyes showed him that nothing was amiss.

Aryll almost jumped up, but thought better of it and settled for fidgeting where she sat, frowning. "My telescope. I just remembered. I dropped it in the library."

"I know," Kid assured his sister. "I have it."

This time his sister did jump to her feet but she was quick to settle back down onto the switch, a glance at Link reminding her of her duty. "Can I have it back?"

Kid had been prepared for this request and was already in the process of fishing through his pouch for the telescope. Once he found it, he handed it to Aryll who proceeded to hug it close to her chest, like any other little girl would hug a doll.

After a while, the two of them rekindled their cheering from before, hoping it would help Link get to the other side. Unfortunately, he fell on the second to last rope and was forced to start over.

This happened over and over again, and for some reason, the low ranked pirate hadn't noticed Aryll sitting on the switch, granting Link all the time in the world. Just to ensure the illusion of a time limit still existed, each time Link started over, Aryll would get off of the switch and Link would reset the entire thing.

Gradually their cheers of encouragement petered out and they simply watched in varying levels of interest. Princess Zelda had given up watching altogether and had whipped out the Goddess Harp to practice. For a time, it provided Aryll with sufficient entertainment but she soon grew bored of that too.

Unlike his sister, Kid was perfectly content to sit around doing nothing. Aryll, however, thought otherwise.

"Hey, Big Brother."

"Yeah?" he wondered, his gaze drifting over to where Aryll was still devoted to sitting on the switch.

"Do my hair for me." At his hesitation she added, "Please?"

"Can't you do it?" Kid replied, reluctant to have the rare peace broken by busying himself, especially when it was unnecessary. Aryll knew how to style her own hair. Why she didn't do it earlier, he had no idea.

"Why? You're not doing anything," Aryll pointed out.

"Neither are you," Kid said, not unkindly.

"I am too. I'm helping Link." She gestured to where she was sitting as if the position rendered her incapable of doing anything else. "Besides, I always get it uneven."

"Aryll, if you would like I could do your hair for you," Princess Zelda spoke up, setting her lyre aside.

"No, thank you," Aryll politely declined, unbeknownst to how thoroughly she'd just stunned her brother.

"A-Aryll, you do know that she's a princess, right?" Kid checked.

"Yes," Aryll replied, focusing her gaze on him once again.

"And that you're never going to get an offer like that again?" The princess wasn't staying around for long, and Aryll would be with them for even less time, as they were on their way to Outset Island,  _right now_. Sure, Tetra was technically a princess but there was no way she'd ever volunteer to style Aryll's hair.

He saw the flicker of indecision in his sister's eyes. Then it was gone, and she nodded once.

"Why?" Kid asked, perplexed.

"Why what?" Aryll wanted to know.

"Why do you want me to do it?"

"Because you do it best," Aryll declared as if it were obvious.

"I'm pretty sure Zelda can do it better," he muttered as he moved towards his sister, accepting the fuchsia hair ties that she offered to him.

He took a seat on the floor behind her and set to work, pulling her golden blonde hair back into two neat pig tails. It would have been easier with a comb, but he knew that Aryll wouldn't go retrieve hers from the sleeping quarters where her things were stored, and Kid himself didn't feel like making the trip.

Once he declared that he was finished, Aryll instantly shook her head, loosening his work.

"What'd you do that for?" Kid demanded, mildly annoyed.

"You tied them too tight," Aryll announced.

"But you said I did it the best which is why you wanted me to do it," Kid recalled, puzzled.

"You do," was his sister's response.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

It seemed that even Aryll didn't know, for she just shrugged.

"Yes! Did you see that?!" Link called over to them. Kid looked to where Link was standing victoriously on the other side of the room.

"Sure," Kid called back, holding back a laugh.

"Yay! You did it!" Aryll exclaimed, jumping up from her spot on the switch and clapping her hands.

"I didn't see it," Princess Zelda claimed. "Do it again!"

"No!" Link shouted back.

"Oi! Wait a minute! You haven't been on that switch the whole time have you?" Niko asked Aryll.

Aryll slowly edged off of the switch. "No…?"

"Nice try, new swabbie, but you have to do it again," Niko declared, addressing Link.

"Are you kidding me? I just made it over here twice now," Link protested.

"You were late the first time, and you cheated just now so it doesn't count," Niko said. "Try it again, and this time take Aryll with you, that way you can't cheat anymore."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Link wondered.

Niko shrugged. "Carry her on your back."

"Aryll, say you're bored," Link ordered, jumping down and starting for the ladder.

"Why?"

"Because then we can find something else to do," Link answered.

"But I like this idea. It sounds fun!" Aryll replied, smiling.

"If you want a piggy back ride, then I can easily arrange that on the ground," Link informed her as he scaled the ladder.

Aryll thought about it for a few seconds, rocking back and forth on her heels. Finally, she shook her head. "Nah, the ropes would be more fun."

"Of course they would…" Link sighed quietly.

"I blame you, by the way," Link declared good-naturedly as he strolled past the princess.

"Me? Whatever for?" Zelda inquired.

"For having to redo this," Link clarified.

"It's not my fault you decided to cheat," the princess pointed out.

"It was your comment that made Niko look over here and see Aryll on the switch."

"Right, because he wouldn't have ever looked over here otherwise," Princess Zelda nodded sagely, picking up her harp once again.

Link paused to remove his sword and shield from his back. It was then that Kid noticed he lacked his own weapons. He must have left them in the sleeping quarters.

"Watch my stuff for me, will you?" Link requested as he laid down his shield and the Master Sword next to Kid.

"Sure," he agreed, making a mental note to retrieve his own sword and shield later. He probably wouldn't need them, but it didn't hurt to be safe.

"Alright, Aryll, hop on, and hold on tight, but don't choke me," Link instructed, bending down so Aryll could easily climb on.

"You're taking your telescope too?" Link asked, eyeing the painted spyglass as Aryll approached.

"Yup!" Aryll chirped, hopping onto his back.

"Maybe you should leave it with your brother." Link suggested as he straightened. "I don't want you to drop it."

Aryll contemplated it for a few moments before reluctantly handing it off to Kid.

"Ready?" Link checked, glancing back at Aryll.

"Go!" Aryll cheered. After pressing the button, Link complied, and Kid soon found himself watching attentively, interested to see if his counterpart really could complete such a feat.

To no one's surprise, Link didn't get to the other side on the first try. He didn't get it on the second either. Or the third. But that didn't discourage him. Even though he'd complained about having to do the obstacle course again, this time with an additional challenge, Link didn't seem to mind it all that much. Kid thought that was more attributed to his sister than anything else. She was especially good at keeping moral up.

The call meant to round everyone up for lunch startled them all. In fact, it startled Link so much that he surrendered his grip on the rope. This wasn't a great loss, however, since the timer had already been ticking and the gate shut a few seconds later.

"Aww, we almost had it. Can't we try one more time?" Aryll requested as Link lowered her to the floor.

"You can try again later after lunch," Niko piped up.

As Aryll and Link made their way towards the ladder, Kid started for the button that would raise the gate.

"Wait, Kid! Don't press that button!" Link called over to him.

He was about to ask why but one look at Niko rendered the inquiry unnecessary. Kid laughed and stepped away from the switch.

"Oi oi! What are you doing? Let me out!" Niko shouted from behind the barred door.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Niko," Link apologized, feigning sincerity. "I didn't make it in time. I guess I'll just have to try again  _after_ lunch. "

"S-swabbie?" Niko tried.

"Sorry, Niko! I'm too hungry to let you out." It was sort of true. He was famished due to involuntarily skipping breakfast.

Link collected his things, plainly ignoring Niko's entreaties to be released from his self-made prison, and the rest of them made their merry way to the mess hall. Even the princess was amused.

Fortunately, or unfortunately if you happened to be Niko, no one seemed to mind the buck-toothed pirate's absence. Either that, or they simply didn't notice. Kid wouldn't be surprised if it were the latter. Meals on the pirate ship were often rowdy and this one was no exception.

Princess Zelda and Link were obviously uncomfortable with the boisterous atmosphere, which Kid found silly knowing how Hyrule Castle Town was. Of course, he supposed it was a bit different dining with rowdy people versus pushing past them in the street. Linebeck, surprisingly, didn't seem to mind all that much, though he did opt to sit closer to the "quiet corner" of the table, as the pirates had dubbed it on account of the lack of yelling and talking going on.

Not that there wasn't talking. Aryll pretty much spoke for all of them, and Kid had to constantly remind her to finish chewing before opening her mouth to speak. Not that any of the pirates really cared about table manners, but if his sister made it a habit his grandmother would surely notice, and then he'd be the one to blame for it.

Eventually someone did notice Niko's absence and suddenly the "quiet corner" wasn't so quiet anymore as most of its members participated in recounting exactly where the lowly pirate was, struggling to contain their laughter as they did so.

Later, as everyone cleared out of the mess hall, Tetra pulled Kid aside. Aryll faltered, wishing to hang around but Tetra was quick to shoo her away. Reluctantly his sister complied and the mess hall became completely empty aside from the two of them. and she reluctantly complied. The mess hall was now empty aside from the two of them, and Kid steeled himself. Surely his best friend was going to give him a scolding about sleeping in, though if she didn't want him to do so, she could've woken him up. She'd done it plenty of times before.

"I need you to change the wind direction," she informed him. Immediately he relaxed. "At this rate it'll take days to reach Outset." Kid knew that this was the equivalent to an apology in Tetra's mind so he accepted it with a nod and a smile.

As he exited the mess hall with Tetra, Aryll darted out of her hiding place behind the wide doorway, surprising them, though Kid felt he should have expected it. She was his sister, after all. "Get us home fast, Big Brother!" she encouraged him as she fell into step beside him. "I wanna show Link and the princess everything!"

"No one's showing anyone anything. We don't have time for that," Tetra declared. "We're just dropping you off."

"What?" Aryll came to a halt, the smile on her face disappearing. She looked up at Kid, the hurt expression dominating her face silently begging him to tell her that she'd misheard.

"She's right," he said, inwardly cringing at the crestfallen look on his little sister's face. "We don't have time."

"But…" Aryll's face scrunched up and for a second he thought she was going to cry. Instead she screamed, "You can't!"

"We can and we are," Tetra called over her shoulder. She'd never stopped walking in the first place. "It's not my problem if you don't like it. C'mon, Kid."

Tetra disappeared up the stairs, but when Kid made to follow her, Aryll blocked his path.

"No," Aryll declared stubbornly.

He sighed. "Aryll-"

"No! You can't leave me  _again_!" she cried.

"It's not like I want to…" he began.

"Then don't," she stated as if it really was that simple.

"I don't have a choice," Kid insisted, moving to step past her. Aryll moved with him, refusing to let him go.

"Everyone has a choice," Aryll asserted, crossing her arms over her chest confidently as if she'd believe she'd just won the argument.

"That's not true," Kid refuted. "Here. Look." He produced the letter Komali had given him from his delivery bag and offered it to his sister. She regarded it with skepticism before cautiously taking it into her hands.

He watched as Aryll's vibrant green eyes darted back and forth, absorbing the words on the parchment in her hands. Once she was finished she sucked in a breath and proclaimed, "This doesn't mean anything." She raised her head to look him in the eye. "It just says you're in trouble so stay in trouble and don't go home."

"You know it doesn't work that way."

"So? Make it work that way," Aryll ordered.

"I can't. You have to go home."

"But that isn't fair!"

"Life isn't fair," he countered.

Aryll gasped as if she'd been slapped. "That's what grown-ups say!" she cried in despair.

"I am a grown-up," he argued.

"No, you're not!"

"I'm older than you so you have to do what I say."

"Nah uh," Aryll disagreed, shaking her head vehemently. "The pirates are older than Tetra, and they do what she says, so  _you_  should be doing what  _I_ say!"

"No. They only do what she says because she's captain which gives her authority over them," Kid corrected her. " _You're_  my little sister. You don't have any jurisdiction over me."

"So you can boss me around just because you're my big brother?" Aryll demanded, disbelieving. "That's stupid!"

"Stupid or not, that's how it works," he informed her.

"But why?!"

"I've been around longer so I know more than you do," Kid reasoned. "You're too young to understand how dangerous all of this is."

"Too young?!" Aryll balked. "I am not! I'm nine and that's nearly ten which is practically eleven, and eleven's really close to twelve and twelve is almost thirteen which is how old you were when you left home, so why can't I stay with you?!"

Kid shook his head at his sister's attempt at rationality. She was nowhere close to ten years old, much less thirteen. In fact, she'd turned nine just a few weeks ago which was the original reason for her visit. A birthday treat. Nothing more.

"Aryll, you haven't even reached double digits yet," Kid reminded his sister.

"So what? That doesn't mean I'm stupid! I'm not going to go jumping in front of monsters. I'll do whatever you say, just please let me stay!" Aryll begged.

"No. You can't promise to not go jumping into danger because you never know when it's going to pop up. Besides, you can't even defend yourself."

"Then teach me." Kid searched his sister's emerald orbs for any sign of a joke and only found stubborn determination.

"I-I can't. It's not that simple. You can't just … just pick up a sword and expect to fight off any monster that comes your way," he argued, struggling to maintain his composure.

"You did," Aryll shot back hotly. She was right. His thirteenth birthday was the first time he ever used a sword seriously. Orca wouldn't let him practice with the sword in the dojo until he was twelve, on account of his grandmother's objections, and even then he wasn't taught all that much. Experience had been his mentor, but experience was a cruel teacher. He'd nearly died at its hand multiple times. Kid knew that Aryll wouldn't survive such lessons. There was no way she could when he was the chosen hero, and  _he'd_  barely emerged from them alive.

At a loss for how to explain this to his sister in a way that she would understand, Kid settled for stating the truth as simply as possible. "That's different."

"No, it's not," Aryll argued, holding her ground, green eyes glistening with unshed tears and unwavering determination. "It's completely the same, and you can't tell me what to do, and you can't take me home if I don't wanna go!"

Kid sighed, exasperated now. "Just drop it, Aryll. You're going home, and you're not changing my mind no matter what you say." He pushed past her and made for the stairs.

"You'll die," Aryll whimpered, her voice so soft he barely caught it. Kid froze, his foot glued to the first step. His gaze fell on his little sister.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice no louder than a whisper. Surely his sister was just trying to scare him. She didn't get premonitions. Did she?

Aryll sniffed. "You keep saying how dangerous it is for me to stay, but that means it's dangerous for you too, so you can get hurt or worse, and then you won't come back, and … and then I'll be all alone!"

Kid opened his mouth to reply but snapped it shut again almost immediately. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He'd never really thought about dying before, even when he'd stared it in the face because the goddesses had chosen him. They couldn't let him die … could they?

He abandoned the stairs and made his way back to his sister, attempting to wrap her in an embrace to get her to stop crying. He couldn't stand to see her upset. He was fine with being miserable if only she was happy.

To his shock, Aryll moved away from him, shaking her head and struggling to form words. "Y-you always leave me behind."

"I'm sorry," he breathed, pleading with her now, wishing she'd stop crying and just smile like she always did.

"If you were sorry you'd stop doing it!" Aryll cried, wiping away her tears irritably only to have them be replaced with new ones.

"If you were really listening to me then you'd understand why I can't!" Kid shouted back, his patience expended.

"You can, you just don't want to!" Aryll claimed.

"You don't know anything!"

"Neither do you, you just act like you do! If I can't stay then you come home with me."

"I can't!"

"You can!" Aryll insisted. "You shouldn't have to do something you hate, so don't. Just stop and come home, and everything can go back to the way it was before you turned thirteen."

"No, it can't! It never can!" Kid yelled, angry tears pricking his eyes now. It was ridiculous, really. Ever since he was little he had always fantasized about the many adventures he would have traveling the ocean when he was older. He'd been excited at the prospect of being away from his home, about fighting monsters like the legendary hero and finding treasure, but now that he was doing it, he wanted nothing more to go back to the monotony of island life. Unfortunately, with things being as they were, that was impossible. It was as much of a fantasy as adventures used to be for him when he was younger.

"Why?!" Aryll demanded. "Why can't it?"

"Because I have to do this!" he snapped. "Because if I don't, no one else will and you're right, it's not fair. None of this is fair but guess what, Aryll? The world doesn't care about fair!"

"It's not that the world doesn't care at all, it's that you don't care enough!" Aryll accused him. "You only care about keeping me safe but you don't care how I feel at all!"

"That's not true," he protested. "I do care."

"Then why are you yelling at me?!"

"Because you're yelling at me!"

Aryll stomped her foot, impervious to the tears falling from her eyes. "I'm only yelling at you because you're trying to do the same thing that mommy and daddy did to you to me."

"Wha-"

"They died and only you remember so you're sad and you miss them a-and if you … if you…" Aryll couldn't finish her sentence, and Kid didn't want her to. He'd heard enough, and as she stumbled upstairs, he could only feel relieved. But the feeling didn't last long.

Kid drew in a shaky breath and leaned against the doorway to steady himself. Aryll was right, and he hated that she was. If he went off and died he'd only make her go through what he had when their parents had passed away. Not that she knew what he'd gone through. Aryll didn't even have any memories of their parents for goddesses sake. And why would she? She'd had the blessing of being two. He, on the other hand, had been seven.

Before he could stop them, memories of that terrible time rose to the surface and would not be suppressed. He was forced to remember, however briefly, his mother's illness. His father's attempt to seek help. The storm. The deliverance of tragic news but new hope as well. Hope that died just hours later. Rattling breaths. A feeble embrace. Silence.

The experience had torn him apart at the time. Just recalling it tore him apart  _now_. Of course he didn't want to do such a thing to Aryll.

But he didn't want her to die either which was why he couldn't keep her by his side or go home with her. Keeping her with him meant putting her in constant peril and returning home with her to stay meant abandoning his role as hero. He couldn't do either of those things. The only option was to take Aryll home and leave. It wasn't like he didn't plan on coming back.

Kid pushed off of the wall and made for the stairs, pausing to retrieve the now crumpled letter that his sister had thrown to the floor at some point without him noticing. Tetra was right. It wasn't her problem if Aryll didn't like it. It wasn't his either. …Only it was.

Just as he reached for the door handle, the door swung open and an irritated Linebeck let himself through muttering something about  _this_  being exactly why he never wanted children. Kid immediately knew that his sister was the reason for this comment, as he could hear her crying already. He nearly let the door close, then thought better of it.

Slipping outside, Kid spared a quick glance in his sister's direction. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't surprised. Aryll, for reasons unbeknownst to Kid, had chosen to run to his counterpart. For his part, Link seemed calm despite the obvious distress of the sobbing little girl before him. Perhaps feeling his gaze, Link glanced up. It was then that Kid saw his counterpart wasn't as calm as he'd first thought. Link was thoroughly confused and judging by the pleading look he was shooting his way, he was requesting help. Kid just responded with a slight shake of his head, knowing he'd only make the situation worse were he to approach them, and gave the pair a wide berth as he sought out Tetra.

"About time," Tetra huffed as he approached her. "We need a southwesterly breeze, and while you're at it. Shut. That. Kid. Up."

"You don't think I tried?" he returned.

"How hard can it be getting one little brat to be quiet?" Tetra wondered.

"You're welcome to try," Kid invited her. He should've known it was a bad idea.

"ARYLL! SHUT UP ALREADY!" Tetra yelled across the deck. With that, all of Link's efforts to calm the little girl down were promptly shattered and any seagulls left that were brave enough to get close quickly dispersed as Aryll's wailing returned.

"Tetra! That's not helping!" Link informed her, as he turned back to Aryll and tried, once again, to placate her.

"Well, you're not doing a very good job of it either," Tetra shot back.

Trying in vain to ignore his sister's crying, Kid pulled out the Wind Waker, and conducted the Wind's Requiem. It sounded harshly in his ears and though the wind complied with his request it seemed to blow extra hard as if it was feeding off of his negative emotions.

He wasn't sure if he liked that or not. On one hand, arriving at Outset ahead of schedule meant that they'd be able to move on with their quest to defeat Ghirahim, after getting Linebeck's ship back, of course. On the other hand, it meant he had less time to spend with his sister, upset as she was. He didn't know when he'd see her again, and he'd rather not have to look at his home island longer than he had to. Or at all for that matter. It'd only taunt him and tempt him to stay, not only for his family but for himself too.

Little did Aryll know, she was right. He did hate it. He hated the constant danger. He hated fighting. It was difficult for Kid to imagine now that he'd ever longed for such things. Then again, children didn't know any better. There was no one to tell them that their wildest dreams were really nightmares.

He leaned on the railing, his head held up by his hand and stared at the overcast sky, waiting for Tetra to snap at him to get his head out of the clouds and start working. When a few minutes passed and the order never came, he stole a glance over his shoulder. Tetra was busying herself amongst her crew and didn't spare him a second glance. She must have banished Link and Aryll below decks because he didn't see, or hear, them anywhere. Part of him wanted to go find them to make things right, but another part of him told him that doing so was impossible.

In the end, he returned his attention on the ocean and tried in vain to rid himself of thoughts of his family. Sometimes he envied Tetra, having none. She never had to deal with things like this.

The frustration from earlier knotted itself in the pit of his stomach and refused to leave. Anytime he tried to divert his thoughts to other things, they'd always go right back to the argument which caused him to wish that Tetra would say something to distract him. For once, it seemed, she'd decided to give him some space. He debated whether or not to seek out his best friend in order to instigate one of their meaningless arguments. On second thought, maybe he should find Niko to joke around with, or release him presuming no one had done so already…

"Big Brother." At the sound of his little sister's timid voice he straightened and whirled around. She was no longer crying, though he could see the evidence of her tantrum plainly on her face.

"I'm sorry for what I said," Aryll apologized.

"…It's okay," Kid replied, even though it wasn't. She'd tried her hardest to make him feel guilty and a simple, 'I'm sorry' wouldn't take that guilt away. Besides that, she'd brought up the topic of their deceased parents. She knew for a fact that was a weak spot of his, and she'd hit it hard enough to hurt plenty.

It was even worse now because he'd had time to mull over the memory of it, to ask himself why the gods would do such a thing. Surely, they didn't want their chosen hero to be miserable. That was when he realized it. The goddesses didn't care how he felt, just that he did what he was destined for and anyone that stood in the way of that was a liability. If his parents had been there when his destiny called, they would have never let him pursue it. They would have tried to take his place, but they wouldn't have been victorious. They would have perished. Either way, it was because of him. His parents were dead because of who he was. His sister didn't know what it was like to grow up with parents because of him. Another thought, a much worse thought, crossed his mind, and he had to put a hand on the railing to steady himself. What if his grandmother tried to stop him from doing this? Would the Gods strike her down too?

"...and guess what else Link told me?" Aryll's bubbly tone of voice startled him out of his epiphany.

Though he only caught the tail end of what she'd been saying, Kid decided to humor her, hoping that doing so would bring him back to the here and now. "What?"

"He said that when we get home you do have some extra time so you can stay for a few hours. That's true, right?!" Aryll peered up at him hopefully.

' _So_ that's _how he got her to calm down,'_  Kid mused. Tetra wasn't going to like the delay, but if it made his sister happy…

"That's right," Kid agreed and was rewarded with a hug from Aryll. He hugged her back, wishing he never had to let go. There was only so much the goddesses had let him keep after all. He'd be a fool if he didn't hold onto them.

A smile tugged at his lips as he heard Link and Tetra bickering about the promise Link had made to Aryll. While Tetra won most arguments, Kid had a feeling that Link would win this one, and he couldn't say how thankful he was for that.


	12. The Weakest Link

"Give him time," he'd said. "He deserves it," he'd said. And he'd been right, much to Tetra's chagrin.

Sure, the kid  _deserved_  to spend some time on his home island with his family, but people rarely got what they deserved. They were on a tight schedule already, especially since their efforts to track down any leads on the demon lord's whereabouts had been fruitless. They didn't have time to sit idle at an island for hours.

And yet … they were. Because it was the least she could do. She'd brought this hero fate upon him, whether he admitted it or not. She knew it was true, especially now, knowing that she was once a goddess herself. The idea still unnerved her. Mostly because she couldn't remember. Was it her fault then? If she didn't even remember her previous actions? If her memory was wiped with each new life she lived? And were any of those lives happy? More importantly were any of the hero's?

He was trapped in the same cycle she was, after all. Unconsciously, her gaze wandered over to Link who was leaning on the railing, staring longingly at the island as if it were nothing but a painting he wished to leap into.

She sighed. "If you want to explore the island, nothing's stopping you."

"I know," Link replied without looking at her.

"So why don't you?" she asked, genuinely curious. Link didn't exactly make it a secret that he preferred solid ground beneath his feet.

Link shrugged. "It doesn't feel right."

Rolling her eyes at his answer, Tetra let her own uncaring gaze wander across the island, halfheartedly searching for something that would justify Link's response. She found it on the beach.

There, crouched in the sand constructing a castle with smiles on their faces, were Kid and Aryll. Suddenly she understood why Link didn't want to step off of the ship. Even from a distance it was obvious that something surrounded the pair, something fragile. It wouldn't take much to break it. And when it was broken, there was no telling when it could be repaired. If ever.

As she continued to watch the siblings play on the shore, jealousy wormed its way into her heart. What would it be like to have a sibling? What would it be like to grow up with both of her parents? Or even one? To have any relatives at all? She'd never know, and that fact infuriated her. Of course she could  _try_  to assign substitutes out of her crew, but that wasn't the same. Though they cared about her, none of them, not even her, acted their age. Their relationship was too backwards to even pretend for a second that they were family.

And yet Kid had an actual family. Granted, he didn't have parents, but he had a loving grandmother and an adorable little sister and that was much more than she had. Tetra found herself yearning for it desperately, then silently berated herself for it. There was no point wishing for things you could never have. It only bred disappointment.

Though she knew she should be happy for her best friend's fortune, she wasn't. Maybe that was why she felt compelled to break that fragile thing around the pair with a shout. "Oi, Kid! Your butt better be on this ship in ten!" She was about to add 'or we'll leave without you!' but she knew it wasn't a threat. Given the opportunity, she was sure Kid would love to stay on his home island. She knew for a fact that if it were her, she would.

"Give him longer than that," Link urged her.

"Why should I?" Tetra demanded, whirling around to face the Hero of Twilight and planting her hands on her hips. "We already spent the night here. If I give him another hour then we might as well stay the rest of the morning, and then you'll insist it's still not enough, and then we'll just wind up giving him more and more time that we don't have, and we'll never get to leave!" Link began to say something but she talked right over him, refusing to take the time to hear his words. "Just drop it, and be grateful that we've stayed as long as we have, alright?!" With that she stalked past him and hopped down to the main deck, feeling a twinge of guilt as she did so.

However, it was quickly forgotten and replaced with annoyance as she caught sight of her counterpart. Zelda was perched primly on the railing, elegantly fanning herself with a floral patterned hand fan while regarding Tetra with those icy eyes of hers. It was almost as if she  _knew_  Tetra had just done something out of spite and was silently berating her for it saying,  _"Now, was that really necessary?"_  in that prissy voice of hers. No, it may not have been necessary, but it certainly felt good. Just for a moment.

Tetra broke the eye contact between the two of them and continued her dignified march across the deck.

"Are we leaving yet, Miss?" Nudge asked as she approached him.

"In ten minutes," she said begrudgingly. "As soon as we're on our way send Kid, Link, and Zelda to my cabin." Not that she really wanted to talk to any of them at the moment with the mood she was in, but they needed to figure out their next move somehow.

"Aye," Nudge acknowledged her request. She turned to go, but he stopped her.

"Something's bothering you." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah, we have no leads on that stupid demon yet," Tetra huffed, turning back to face him.

"It's something else," Nudge observed.

She stomped her foot in frustration. How could he read her so easily? "There's nothing else. Just do as you're told!"

This time she did walk away and, thankfully, he let her.

* * *

Whether it was to smite her or not, Link and Kid did not arrive as readily as the princess which meant that Tetra, Zelda, and Midna were left to wait and wonder where the boys had gotten to. It wasn't like they could get lost. Her ship wasn't  _that_  big, and even if it was, Kid knew his way around. Just as she was about to get up and search for them herself, the door to her cabin swung open, admitting Kid and Link.

"About time," she muttered as the door shut behind them.

"Sorry," Kid apologized. "We were-"

"I don't care," Tetra glowered. "Just sit."

"What's this for anyway?" Kid wondered as he took a seat next to her on her bed. She chose to tolerate it only because there weren't many other comfortable places to sit. Zelda was using her only chair, and the couch was situated on the other side of the room, so it wouldn't be ideal for their purposes. Besides, some of that guilt from earlier was starting to creep back. If anyone, she should be the one apologizing, but she held her tongue.

"We're here to discuss what our next course of action is," Zelda supplied when Tetra didn't offer the information. Link was the only one that hadn't found a seat of some kind. Actually, he was sizing up her room, and she didn't appreciate it one bit.

"What?" she snapped.

It took a moment for him to realize that she was speaking to him. "Nothing, it's just…" he trailed off, eyes still roving around her cabin, taking it all in and pausing on the portrait of her mother on the wall. "Not what I was expecting."

"Oh? And what, pray tell, were you expecting?" Tetra inquired, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't know… skulls on the floor, weapons everywhere, a bed of nails…" he listed thoughtfully.

"This is my room, not a torture chamber," she glowered, shooting daggers in Link's direction that didn't quite reach him.

"I didn't know there was a difference," Link replied, faking ignorance. Beside her, Kid snickered, and she promptly pushed him off of the bed.

"It's not funny!" she yelled at him which only prompted Midna to join in with the laughing. "Shut up both of you!"

"It was just a joke, Tetra," Link reminded her as he finally took a seat on the floor. Suddenly she wished she did have a bed of nails just so she could make Link sit on it.

"We don't have time for jokes," she scowled disapprovingly. "Unless you've forgotten, there's a demon creep out there somewhere."

"Are we certain he really is?" Princess Zelda spoke up as the laughter of their companions dwindled.

"Where else could he be?" Tetra demanded.

"Well, he can teleport anywhere he's been before, so maybe he went back to Hyrule," the princess suggested, though Tetra could plainly see she was uncomfortable with doing so.

"Why would he do that?" Midna wondered. "Doesn't that defeat the purpose of coming here?"

"Perhaps," Zelda mused. "Or maybe he wanted to trick us into coming here unnecessarily, so he could go back to Hyrule to take it over without us knowing."

"I don't think he anticipated us to follow him in the first place," Link pointed out, "so I really doubt that."

"Yeah," Midna agreed. "Plus he left Hyrule to Zant. That was their deal. He has no way of knowing that Zant perished."

"If he's here, then why isn't he doing anything?" Tetra wondered, bowing her head in thought.

Suddenly, Fi's now all too familiar monotone filled the room. "I calculate a 75% percent chance that Demon Lord Ghirahim entered this world unprepared for what he would find. It is likely that he is still trying to adjust to the new environment."

"But Fi, you're a sword spirit too, and you're fine," Link pointed out.

"I have my Master. Ghirahim does not," Fi stated.

"Ha! So Mr. Fabulous needs someone to guide him. That's rich." Midna smirked.

"I wouldn't start laughing at him just yet," Princess Zelda interjected. "Remember, he managed to beat us without a Master."

"Then what do we do?" Tetra demanded. "Even if we haven't heard anything about him, that doesn't mean he isn't doing anything."

When no one jumped to propose an idea, Link turned to Fi. "What do you think?" For a moment, Tetra didn't think Fi had even registered his inquiry, for she did nothing but stare stoically into space.

Finally she turned to Link and spoke. "After analyzing the situation I have concluded that the best course of action at the moment is to use the reprieve Ghirahim is providing," Fi announced.

"How?" Link wondered.

"Based on your previous performance, I calculate a 10% chance of victory if you were to face Ghirahim in battle now."

"Ten percent?!" Tetra exclaimed in disbelief. "How's that possible?" The only reason why they'd lost is because their original plan didn't work out as they'd anticipated which put them at an extreme disadvantage. In a fair fight, surely their chances of winning were greater. Weren't they?

"I think I know," Princess Zelda said before Fi could reply. "Our individual skills vary. Some have yet to reach their full potential, so we're not as strong as we could be as a whole."

Tetra jumped to her feet, outraged. "You're not honestly blaming _us_!"

"I didn't say-" Princess Zelda began.

"But that's what you're implying!" Tetra shot back, appalled at her counterpart's gall. How could she possibly call Kid and her weak after all they'd been through?

"Can you say that your skills with magic are equal to mine?" Zelda asked her.

"Well … no but-"

"Then what I said is justified." When Tetra's glare didn't waver, Zelda hastily continued, "I don't mean it's your fault alone. It's actually not your fault at all. Here, in your world, there was no one to teach you such advanced magic, so there's no way you could have been prepared unless I taught you, and honestly, the thought never crossed my mind until now."

Her words did nothing to appease Tetra. "And what? You don't need to learn anything because you're so perfect?" The princess opened her mouth to respond but Tetra didn't let her. " _You're_  the one that did nothing but get captured when we were fighting!"

"If you recall, our scheme went awry long before then," Zelda reminded her placidly. Tetra had the sudden urge to go over there and slap her counterpart for saying such things as if they didn't carry any weight whatsoever. And she would have, if Midna didn't speak up right then.

"Look, if you ask me, we all have things to work on." She began to list off each point on her fingers. "Tetra has to work on her magic; Zelda has to work on not getting captured; Kid has to work on his swordplay-"

"What's wrong with my swordplay?" Kid wondered, insulted.

"Yeah! He's good," Tetra added. He was much better with a sword than anyone else she knew.

"Good, but not great," Midna countered.

"Like you know so much about swordplay," Tetra scoffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"Don't have to," Midna replied, mimicking Tetra's confident stance. "All I have to do is observe those who do, and let me tell you, after seeing Kid and Link in action, I know that Link's way better. Trust me, if they were to fight, Link would win. Easy."

"I don't believe that until I see it," Tetra declared.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to have them fight then," Midna suggested, a mischievous glint in her eye as her gaze drifted over to the two heroes situated on the floor. Kid shifted uncomfortably under her stare.

"Or," Link interjected upon catching the doubtful expression on Kid's face, "we could just ask Fi."

"I don't trust her statistics. She's been wrong before," Tetra objected, but it was too late. Link had already posed the question.

"Master, I do not have sufficient data to accurately predict the outcome of such a scenario," Fi announced. Tetra smirked in victory, and Link shot Kid a "Well, I tried" look.

"Fighting it is!" Midna proclaimed, punching a fist in the air.

"Do we have to?" Kid asked.

"Hee hee!" Midna giggled. "He already knows he's going to lose!"

"He's not going to lose!" Tetra refuted. She turned to Kid, giving him a pointed look. "Right?"

"Uh … right." Kid nodded, but it didn't hold a trace of confidence. For the life of her, Tetra couldn't understand why. It wasn't like Kid didn't have any experience with swordplay. He'd felled countless monsters and beaten Ganondorf, all, more or less, on his own. One person shouldn't be too much of a challenge, even if that person was Link.

Five minutes later they were all gathered beneath the hanging lanterns that made up Niko's obstacle course. From the top of a bunch of stacked crates, Tetra, Zelda, and Midna had an excellent view of the arena. The heroes were positioned across from one another, each wielding their shields and wooden practice swords. If it were up to her, Tetra would have had them fight with their actual weapons. However, Link adamantly refused to engage in any battle with Kid unless some safety measures were taken. Hence, the wooden weapons. Tracking down the practice implements had not been easy. They'd been stashed away in the hold and forgotten a decade ago. It was a wonder they still held their shape.

"The first one to land a killing blow, or what would be considered a killing blow, wins," Midna announced. "Fair?"

At confirmation from both fighters, Midna gave them a signal to start and the two of them dropped into fighting positions.

Tetra watched attentively as they circled each other, neither quite audacious enough to make the first move. Finally, as she knew he would, Kid tired of waiting and dashed towards Link who immediately brought up his shield to block the horizontal slice coming his way.

As soon as Kid's weapon slid harmlessly off of his shield, Link thrust forward. Unfortunately for him, Kid was too nimble and back flipped out of range before the attack could reach him.

When Kid charged him again, Link parried with his sword and soon they two of them were exchanging blows, wooden swords clacking each time they met. Kid managed to slip a few swipes under Link's guard, but not enough to warrant a win. Just as Link stumbled back, off balance from a blow to his side, the motion of the ship, or possibly both, a shout interrupted them.

"Stop!" Midna commanded.

Both fighters started, their battle forgotten and turned to peer up at her, puzzlement written plainly on their faces. Tetra was confused too. Kid had been doing well, Link less so, just as she'd anticipated. What could possibly be wrong?

"What?" Link asked finally when Midna remained silent, staring at him disapprovingly.

"Yeah, what?" Tetra demanded, irritated that Midna had stopped their fight when Kid was winning.

"You know exactly what, wolf boy," Midna shot back, ignoring the fact that Tetra had even spoken.

"Uh … no I really don't," Link replied. "Enlighten me?"

"You're not taking this seriously," Midna accused him. Link shrugged but it was as good as an affirmative.

"Restart, and this time don't go easy on him!" Midna ordered. "This is to prove a point, not to spare feelings."

"Well, that's a bit harsh," Link observed.

"Too bad," Midna declared unsympathetically.

As the boys distanced themselves from each other and resumed their battle stances, Tetra couldn't help but wonder how the Twili could tell the difference. It had seemed like Link was serious enough. Granted, he had been losing, but that was her prediction anyway. Maybe Midna just didn't want to admit that Link wasn't as great at swordplay as she believed him to be.

The only difference she noted was in the way they both stood. Kid was more guarded than before, eyes locked on his opponent's form as they circled one another while Link just looked more … well … ready.

It took some encouraging from the spectators for either of them to act. Just like last time, Kid was the first to strike. However, Link easily parried the attack and then took a swipe of his own at the younger hero. Still as fast as ever, Kid dodged it easily and then dropped to the side, rolling around to hit Link's back. Then, with speed she didn't foresee, Link twirled his sword in his hand so he was holding it backwards and used it to block Kid's attack all without turning around. As Kid's failed attack bounced off of Link's weapon, the elder hero took the opportunity to turn around and thrust forward with his shield.

It caught Kid in the stomach, and he stumbled back, off balance. Link used the opening he'd created to strike, and Tetra sucked in a breath despite herself. She was worried. And as Kid twisted away, barely in time to avoid what would have been considered a fatal blow, she knew she had a right to be. Link really had been holding back. With any luck, that would be the only thing Midna was right about.

Below her, she watched Kid tried to distance himself to catch his breath. For whatever reason, Link didn't want him to, and as soon as Kid's feet returned to the ground from his most recent back-flip, the older hero was upon him.

She shouted any insults she could think of, trying to distract Link and invigorate Kid to find the strength to best his counterpart. To her dismay, it seemed like they were deaf to everything outside of their battle. She couldn't help so she settled for watching and wishing, hands clasped tightly together in her lap.

They continued trading blow after blow, Kid struggling all the while to hold his own, slowly being forced back by the slew of attacks coming his way.

One second was all it took. Kid faltered, and Link got a hit in. Perhaps to save himself the effort of blocking every attack that came his way, Kid ducked behind his shield. It turned out to be a mistake. Link rolled behind him and unlike his counterpart, Link was able to land a blow with this maneuver.

The blow was so powerful that Kid stumbled forward and fell to the floor, involuntarily dropping both his sword and shield. Just as Kid rolled over onto his back the elder hero leapt at him, angling his sword downwards. Kid let out a gasp and brought his arms up as if they would protect him. Link halted the attack before it made contact, the tip of the wooden weapon just a hair's breadth away from Kid's chest.

"It's as I said," Midna whispered into her ear as if speaking loudly would shatter the moment. "Link's the best."

Tetra said nothing as she watched Link toss his weapon aside and hold out his hand for Kid to take. Cautiously lowering his arms as he realized it was over, Kid took the proffered hand, and Link hauled him to his feet, apologizing and muttering something about her and Midna that put a small, wry smile on Kid's face.

Tetra couldn't even bring herself to be mad about that. She was too furious about what had just transpired. It wasn't Kid's fault, she knew. She'd seen it for herself. Link was good. No, great, as Midna had said. Her best friend really had no chance against him, and that was the problem. It meant that Midna was right. They were weak, both of them. And if they'd been so convinced that they were strong when they weren't, then what else could they be unintentionally lying to themselves about?

A tap on her shoulder startled her out of her reverie, and she turned to see the princess. "Come. Let's leave them to train."

"Oh? And I guess that means we're training too, huh?" Tetra glowered. Who said she wanted to learn magic? Well … she kind of did. It'd be amazing to be able to wield fire, but agreeing to train meant admitting she was weak, and she wasn't sure she was ready to do that just yet.

"Yes," came the curt reply. Zelda hopped gracefully down from their viewing platform, and Tetra reluctantly followed, Midna slipping into her shadow.

As soon as they reentered Tetra's cabin and the door was shut, Midna materialized out of her shadow, her form no longer shadowy and dark. "Alright, down to business," Midna said, rubbing her hands together. "How much magic do you know?"

"I can make light arrows," Tetra replied, plopping down onto her bed.

"That's it?" the princess wondered.

"…That's it," Tetra reluctantly confirmed.

"Can you demonstrate?" Princess Zelda requested.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I need an arrow to make a light arrow," Tetra said, rolling her eyes. Who was really the expert here?

"Hmmm, so you need a base," the princess mused quietly.

"What?" she demanded, perplexed.

"She means that you can't perform magic without something to go off of," Midna translated, an amused smirk on her impish face.

"Yeah, but who doesn't?" she shot back defensively.

In reply, the princess closed her eyes, bowing her head slightly in concentration. Before her, she held out her hands as if she expected to catch something that was falling from above. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the air above her glowing hands began to shimmer, soft golden embers shaped the shaft, then the feathers, then the head and suddenly a jagged arrow of light floated above Zelda's hands. Princess Zelda opened her eyes and grinned at Tetra knowingly.

"How… how did you do that?" Tetra stammered, awe-struck.

"Magic," Zelda stated mysteriously, allowing the arrow to dissipate into the air. With it went her awe.

"Alright, then,  _Miss I'm-Oh-So-Wise_. Why don't you teach me how you did that?" Tetra invited her, scowling.

To her irritation, Princess Zelda shook her head. "I can't. Not yet, anyway. It is much too advanced for you."

"Too advanced?" Tetra scoffed. "Please. If I can turn a normal arrow into a light arrow then making one out of thin air can't be too much different."

"Would you be capable of running just after you learned to crawl?" her counterpart inquired calmly.

"Well … no," Tetra admitted.

"Then you understand what I'm talking about when I say it is too advanced for you at the moment."

Tetra sighed heavily in aggravation. "Fine, then teach me how to make those fire balls I've seen you use before."

"No," Princess Zelda refused. "We're starting with something else."

"Why?" Tetra demanded to know.

Her counterpart gestured around them. "For one, there's wood everywhere. Uncontained flames would not be wise to have around." Tetra tipped her head in consent at that. Fair point. "For another, you must learn some discipline."

"So … what? You're going to have me balancing books on my head?" Tetra quirked a skeptical eyebrow, laughing a bit at the ridiculousness of the notion.

Her counterpart didn't even bother to mask her amusement at that comment, but that wasn't what surprised her. It was Zelda's answer. "Yes."

"You're kidding," Tetra said, all earlier mirth gone.

No, it turned out, the princess was not, in fact, kidding. Against her will, Tetra had been instructed to scrounge up any books she could and was now standing across from the princess with three on them balanced precariously atop her head. She felt like an idiot, and she probably looked like one too, judging by the expressions on her companions faces. Tetra fiercely hoped no one walked into her room. They were supposed to knock, but it was rare that her crew ever remembered to do so.

"Alright … what now?" Tetra asked, a much more reluctant student than before.

"I'm going to start by teaching you the art of defense," Zelda announced.

"I know how to defend myself," Tetra reminded her.

"Not with magic you don't," her counterpart refuted. "Now pay attention."

"I  _am_ ," Tetra breathed, exasperated.

"This spell is called Nayru's Love," Princess Zelda began. "It has many uses. Mostly, it functions as a defense, but at times it can operate as an offense as well. For now, let's just focus on a basic shield. It's easy enough to do. Your base is your hand. Think 'Nayru's Love' to cast it." Princess Zelda held out her hand, palm facing outward. A glassy blue barrier materialized in front of her. Zelda dispelled it a few seconds later and inclined her head towards Tetra, indicating that she should try.

Begrudgingly, Tetra mimicked Zelda's pose and concentrated, willing a round shield of blue to appear. When nothing happened, she repositioned herself, nearly losing the books on her head as she did so and tried again, biting her lip. Nothing. She dropped her hand, frustrated.

"I don't think you're doing it right," Midna observed.

"Thanks for the insight, Midna," Tetra said, her words soaked in sarcasm.

"No, I mean … I don't think you're actually tapping into any power," Midna corrected herself.

"Do you think it's because she doesn't have the full Triforce of Wisdom to command?" Zelda asked the Twilight Princess.

"No … at least not entirely," Midna replied. "I just think she doesn't know how to tap into it." Midna drew closer to Tetra.

"So I'm going to help. Close your eyes," Midna instructed. If it had been Zelda to request this of her, she would have flatly refused but since it was Midna, she decided to cooperate. For now, anyway.

"Now, imagine a door. Any door at all." Tetra did as she was told and a white door popped into existence in her mind's eye.

"See it?"

She nodded.

"Go to it and open it." Tetra imagined herself walking to the door, pulling on the handle and … meeting resistance. She tried her hardest to imagine the door gliding smoothly open for her but it refused. It wanted to stick. Mentally steeling herself, she imagined putting all her strength into it and slowly, very slowly, the door creaked open, hinges squeaking as if they were rusted from misuse. The door was heavy as well and it took a great deal of struggling before she managed to wrench it open. As soon as she did, faux green light greeted her and an odd feeling fluttered into existence within her chest. It felt warm and powerful, reassuring. What she'd felt making light arrows had been nothing but a wisp of what this was.

"And there it is," Midna proclaimed proudly, her voice distant in Tetra's ears. She didn't know how Midna knew she'd found it. Maybe she was smiling. She couldn't tell. The pleasant sensation flowed through her, whispers of strength she never knew she'd possessed. It blocked out nearly everything else.

"Now open your eyes, but don't let it go. Hold onto it," Midna told her. Cautiously, for she was afraid she'd lose she magic she'd found, Tetra opened her eyes.

"Try the spell again. Do  _not_  put everything you have into it," Princess Zelda commanded her sternly. "Just use some."

"Imagine scooping out a small handful," Midna supplied helpfully.

With their advice in mind, Tetra positioned herself. She dipped into the supply of power at her disposal. It was difficult to not take more than she needed. The power seemed to rush into her, itching to be used. She managed to quell it, letting a modest amount flow down her arm, through the bones of her hand and fingers and out through her palm. She willed the shield to form itself.  _'Nayru's Love,'_ she thought when it hesitated. She sucked in a breath as she felt some of the warmth twist away from her. Then, to her delight, a circle of transparent blue appeared in the air before her, giving everything beyond it a hazy blue hue.

"Good," Zelda commended her. "Now move to the other side of the room, but keep the shield in front of you."

Undaunted by the new task, Tetra took a step to the right, mindful of the books balanced on her head. She slowly turned and began to take careful steps backwards, keeping Midna and Zelda in sight at all times. The shield wavered once or twice but she managed to keep it intact. When her back hit a wall, she looked to Zelda for instruction.

"Take the magic back. Do not let the magic disperse on its own or you will lose it," Princess Zelda informed her.

She was about to ask exactly how to do that, but Midna jumped in to provide her with aid. "It's like performing the spell backwards. Make it enter the way you made it leave. Just retrace your steps." Tetra concentrated on the magic before her, willing the shield to decompress into her palm, chasing the magic it had been made out of back through her hand and fingers, back along her arm, back to that warmth in her chest. As soon as it was done, she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"Remember to do that whenever you can," Zelda advised her. "It makes your magic last longer." Tetra nodded in comprehension. She saw how that would be advantageous in battle.

"So what's the next spell?" she wondered. This wasn't that hard after all, and it was kind of fun, making things appear out of nowhere.

"Do not jump ahead of yourself," Princess Zelda said. "We are still on Nayru's Love."

"But you just taught it to me," Tetra protested. "I can make a shield."

"Can you?" Zelda mused, as if Tetra had just declared she could fly.

"Yes. I can," Tetra declared confidently, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

"Come here and show me then," Zelda invited her.

Sighing, Tetra quickly made her way over to the princess, putting a hand on the books atop her head, so they wouldn't fall. This time, casting the spell wasn't as hard, but she still had to put effort into it. She stared at her counterpart through the transparent shield, daring her to defy her.

The princess took her up on her silent challenge, tapping a finger against the shield. Instantly the tinkling of glass hit her ears as her shield shattered into a million pieces, shards dissipating into the air a few seconds later and leaving her feeling a bit colder than before.

"That was not much of a shield," Princess Zelda remarked knowingly.

"I didn't tell it to shatter!" Tetra objected, stomping her foot in indignation.

"You didn't tell it to protect you either," was the princess's response. "If you want it to be a real shield, then you need to reinforce it. Anticipate the force that will be exerted on it and strengthen it accordingly."

"You could've told me that earlier," Tetra muttered in annoyance, creating another shield.

"One step at a time," Zelda replied.

"Whatever. How do I reinforce it?" Tetra asked.

"Brace yourself so that if you were to take the blow you would not flinch. Of course, the harder the blow, the harder it will be to brace yourself so in those instances it's best to imagine your shield as a sturdy wall."

"Okay, so what blow am I bracing against?" she wondered.

"Mine!" Midna shouted, suddenly rushing towards her, hand curled into a fist. Tetra tensed instantly out of reflex.

Before she hit the shield, the Twilight Princess came to an abrupt halt and then proceeded to lightly bump the shield with her fist.

"Eee hee!" Midna laughed. "You should've seen your face!"

"What the heck did you scare me like that for?" Tetra demanded, outraged. Midna grinned and rapped her knuckles against the blue shield, and it was then that Tetra noticed it was still whole. Not a crack showed.

"Oh…" she said, her anger dissipating.

"Aren't I a great teacher?" Midna asked, grinning.

"The best," Tetra agreed with a smirk.

"Alright," Zelda said. "Now that you know how to reinforce it, let's see how well it holds up under pressure."

"Does that mean I can really hit it this time?" Midna wondered hopefully.

"Yes."

Tetra took a deep breath, her eyes on the Twilight Princess who was hovering in front of the shield, painted various shades of blue by the hue of it. As Midna reeled back her arm, Tetra planted her feet firmly on the floor, muscles tense, and awaited the impact. Midna punched the barrier, and Tetra hissed in irritation as she saw a spider web of cracks appear from the impact zone. With a bit more magic, she managed to erase the fractures and the shield was as good as new.

"Okay, let's see how you take  _this_!" With that, Midna formed her orange hair into a giant fist and slammed it against the shield. Tetra was thrown to the ground instantly, the sound of breaking glass ringing in her ears.

"Heh … whoops," Midna said sheepishly. "That might've been a bit too much."

"Ya think?" Tetra groaned, sitting up and glaring at Midna who just shrugged apologetically.

"Tetra, are you alright?" Zelda asked her.

"Yeah." She began to pick up the books that had fallen off of her head when she fell.

"Leave the books," Zelda told her. "They were for my amusement only." It took a second for her words to register but once they did, Tetra grabbed the nearest book and chucked it at the princess, spitting a curse as she did so. Unfortunately, her counterpart had seen this coming and deftly deflected the book with a shield of her own.

"New skill," Princess Zelda stated, picking up the book Tetra had thrown at her. "Quick summoning." The princess then threw the book back at Tetra. Her reflexes were the only thing that spared her from suffering a direct hit to the face.

"Use magic," the princess ordered her.

"Fat chance. I can't get a shield up that fast!"

"Just try," her counterpart urged her.

"Not with you throwing things at me," Tetra refused.

"If nothing's coming your way then you'd only form the shell of the shield like before. It doesn't matter how quick you can put it up if it breaks as soon as something touches it," Zelda pointed out. "This exercise will be beneficial in the end."

"Fine," Tetra conceded, kicking two of the books so they slid towards the princess. The third Midna made a grab for, probably so she'd have ammo as well, but as soon as Tetra caught sight of the cover she marched over and ripped it away from the Twili.

"Not that book," she said quickly, hugging it to her chest to protect it.

"Why? What is it?" Midna wondered. Tetra didn't bother to answer her as she stalked over to her bed and set it down carefully on the bedspread. It was stupid that she even cared. She had the story memorized after all. She didn't need the book anymore. But her mother had read to her with it. She didn't want memories, especially those memories, to be thrown around so carelessly.

"Just take one of the other books," Tetra snapped at Midna when she persisted. She was relieved when the Twilight Princess did so, and then instantly regretted it as she found a book sailing towards her face.

She ducked. "I wasn't ready!" she yelled. Midna just laughed and retrieved the book. Despite herself, she found a smile creeping onto her face. It was sort of funny.

Tetra didn't know how long the exercise lasted. Maybe it was an hour, maybe two, maybe even more. All she knew was that by the time they stopped she was out of breath and the magic within her had depleted to the point where roughly half of her reserves remained. Her counterpart assured her that it would refill given time and rest, but she really wasn't worried too much about that. She'd done fine without magic before, and she really doubted she'd come to depend on it anytime soon.

Magic was exhausting to work with. Even though they were just training, if she made a mistake, she would feel the consequences. It wasn't a good feeling, having the magic inside her dim. What had once been a bright, burning bonfire had dwindled to a much more modest flame. Still, it was a foreign sensation and one she didn't much like to control. Half the time it didn't do what she wanted it to, and calling on it swiftly was very difficult. It had to be coaxed, and that took time, more often than not time she didn't have.

Still, by the end of the session she'd managed to shield herself from a few of the projectiles, something Midna told her she should be proud of, not being an avid magic user. At the moment, she didn't feel pride, just fatigue, and she was glad when Zelda declared they could take a break. Or rather, she was glad that the princess suggested it so she didn't have to fight her on the matter, because Tetra would be taking a break whether her counterpart liked it or not.

"Should we go see how the boys are doing?" Midna proposed.

"Perhaps in a moment. I want to ask Tetra something first," Zelda said.

"Then ask," Tetra told the ceiling. She was currently laying on her back on her bed, storybook cover down on her stomach. Not that the others could read it if they tried.

"You mentioned something a few days ago. A vision you had." Zelda stated. Tetra recalled it. Being immobile in the air. The black scaled monster that she somehow had a name for. The golden light. But none of it mattered. Things were already complicated. They didn't need this, whatever it was, on top of everything else. Zelda had been stupid to mention it at all to her counterpart.

"Zelda mentioned it," Tetra corrected her counterpart, adamantly refusing to acknowledge she and that timid princess were one and the same. She would never do half the things that girl did.

"Still you," Zelda pointed out, impervious to how Tetra despised it. Or maybe she knew and just didn't care. That was an option too. "What do you think it meant?"

"Gods, Zelda," Tetra groaned in irritation. Couldn't her counterpart just let her relax for a while? "I don't know."

"Wait a second, what vision?" Midna cut in.

"Tell her," Zelda ordered her.

Sighing, Tetra reluctantly complied, describing the scene she was forced to play a part in. "I have no idea what it was," Tetra finished. "It definitely wasn't a dream; I was awake the entire time."

"That is odd," Midna agreed. "Are you sure you weren't just stressed out and imagined it all?" Tetra shrugged. It was possible and honestly, she'd prefer it if that was all it had been. She didn't want to meet that monster in person.

"I doubt it was just her imagination," Princess Zelda spoke up. "That name of that monster she saw, The Imprisoned … it sounds familiar, but I can't place it…"

"That makes two of us," Tetra muttered.

"I believe I can clarify, Your Grace." Fi's voice startled them all, and Tetra sat up, ignoring the book as it fell into her lap. Immediately her eyes went to the Master Sword which Link had left lying on the couch alongside Kid's sheathed blade. The sword spirit was floating in the air beside the sea-green couch, the fabric of her cape-like arms undulating gracefully.

"Please do," Princess Zelda invited her, seeming relieved. As much as she didn't want to know, she did, so Tetra listened as Fi began to speak in that dull voice of hers.

"The Imprisoned was the demonic vessel of Demise during the time he was sealed by the Goddess Hylia. When the seal broke, Demise regained his true form. The situation you have described aligns perfectly with an event I have sufficient data on. Therefore, I can conclude that you have regained a memory of Hylia's."

Tetra blinked, dumbfounded. A memory? From Hylia? One of her past lives? That wasn't okay. It didn't  _feel_  okay. She didn't like the knowledge of being cursed to be reincarnated over and over again, but she could look past it. After all, she didn't remember anything from those other lives. She was always reborn a blank slate. Or so she thought. Could she really be a blank slate if she could regain lost memories from another life?

"How is that possible?" Princess Zelda's voice snapped Tetra out of her reverie.

"I can only theorize," Fi said, "but it is likely that a similar circumstance to a previous one could have triggered a memory that was lost during the reincarnation process."

"Then why didn't she get the memory back too?" Tetra demanded, jabbing a finger in Zelda's direction accusingly and feeling that the goddesses were very much against her. Unlike Tetra, her counterpart had actually  _been_  in the position, experienced having her soul used to resurrect evil, so why didn't she get the accursed memory?

"I was unconscious at the time," Princess Zelda reminded her. "I couldn't see what was happening. If I had, I probably would have regained it too."

"Great. Now I have a stupid memory of hers," Tetra fumed. "Does that mean I'll get more?" She didn't know who she was asking. She didn't even know if she wanted an answer at this point. It was just all too much. Ages ago, she was just a little girl with a pirate captain for a mother. She'd been happy then. Now she wanted nothing more than to go back to that. A time where she didn't have to worry about her identity because she'd had none then. She'd been no one, just a girl, and she'd liked it that way.

"If you witness events that are homologous to those that one of your past selves has experienced then that is likely, Your Grace," Fi answered, unaffected by Tetra's distress and probably unaware that she was making it worse.

"But I don't  _want_  her memories," Tetra protested, too worked up to care that she sounded like a whiny child. "I don't want anyone's memories but my own!"

"Technically speaking, they are your memories, Your Grace," Fi said.

"Stop calling me that!" Tetra snapped, shooting a menacing glare at the sword spirit but knowing as she did so that it was a wasted effort. Nothing could faze Fi.

"What shall I call you?" Fi asked.

"Tetra," she said clearly so Fi couldn't mistake it for anything else.

"Understood." Fi droned, but Tetra knew she didn't understand. She was programmed to log information. She wasn't programmed to understand it.

Suddenly she found herself marching to the door and throwing it open, muttering that she wanted to go see how the boys' training was coming along. But it was a lie. She didn't really care. She just needed to get away. Away from the emotionless Fi. (Oh, how she envied her!) Away from her counterpart who should've been able to sympathize with her but couldn't because it was Tetra that had gotten the short end of the stick, not Zelda. Away from Midna who could never hope to understand her, though she may try.

As soon as Tetra entered the spacious room, she nearly turned back. No longer were Link and Kid alone. Niko had joined them, but she knew for a fact she'd given him chores to do and without a swabbie to help him, there was no way he could be done. Linebeck was there as well, watching the two of them train.

Since she didn't like any of the alternatives, Tetra decided to stay, sitting by the ledge and letting her legs dangle into the empty space, the floor a few feet away. Upon noticing her, Niko scurried away, presumably to resume the chores he decided to neglect in favor of coming here. Linebeck stayed where he was, but unfortunately, he didn't stay silent.

"Fancy meeting you here."

"It's my ship," she said, keeping her eyes on Link and Kid. They didn't seem like they even noticed they were being watched.

"Speaking of ships, why's mind gotta wait so long?" Linebeck asked her.

"You have no reason to complain," Tetra admonished. "We're sailing there right now."

"Not very fast," Linebeck pointed out. "That's the problem with these sailing ships." He patted the ground. "They're too slow. Now my ship…" Linebeck whistled lowly. " _She's_  fast. I'll tell ya, engines are the way to go."

"Engines fail, the wind doesn't," Tetra countered, welcoming the debate with open arms. Ships. Something she was familiar with. Something that had always been a part of her life.

"Engines can be fixed and replaced," Linebeck said, easily dismissing her argument. "And with them you can go in any direction you want, wherever you want, whenever you want, because you don't have to wait for the wind to decide to cooperate."

"With Kid, we don't have to wait for the wind," Tetra replied.

"Just because he can change the direction of the wind doesn't mean he can make it blow any harder," Linebeck argued. "What's up with that, anyway? Since when did the kid have witchy powers?"

"They're not witchy powers," Tetra refuted, rolling her eyes at his choice of words. "The baton he uses is magic."

Linebeck was silent as he absorbed this information and when he didn't say anything for a few seconds Tetra thought their conversation was over. That turned out to not be the case. "How much do you think something like that would be worth?"

"You're terrible," Tetra said.

"Hey! I'm just asking a question," Linebeck defended himself. "I'd think you'd be interested, being a pirate and all."

She shrugged. "I'm a different kind of pirate."

"Is that because of the whole princess thing?" Linebeck wondered. It was an innocent question on his part. It wasn't like he  _knew_  she hated all reminders that she was a princess, but the inquiry still lit a spark of rage within her. Rather than fuel it, for once she quelled it and changed the subject.

"What were you doing at Four-Eye Reef anyway? Looking for treasure?"

"No, I was actually looking for you guys so this is sort of convenient."

His answer threw her off. "Why were you looking for us?"

"Because I have something I thought you'd be interested in, but now I'm not so sure," Linebeck replied wistfully.

"Why?"

"Because it doesn't seem like you're as eager to find treasure as I thought."

"I'm all for treasure, just not for selling priceless artifacts," Tetra informed him.

"Ah, alright then."

A few moments passed in silence. "…So are you going to tell me what it is?"

"Nope."

"Why the heck not?" Tetra demanded to know, tearing her eyes away from the heroes to glare at him.

"Because it's a surprise," Linebeck said, leaning back lazily.

"I don't like surprises," Tetra glowered.

"Oh well." Linebeck shrugged unsympathetically. "You won't know until we reach my ship."

"I'll just get Kid to weasel the truth out of you," Tetra declared, knowing fully well how annoying her best friend could be when he wanted to be.

"Tch. Good luck with that," Linebeck scoffed. "If I could survive Sparkles' nagging, which I did, then I can survive the kid's."

"I  _could_  have my crew toss you overboard and refuse to help you until you talk," Tetra mused.

"Well, then I'd die, and you wouldn't know for even longer."

"I hate you," she stated.

Linebeck laughed. "What woman doesn't?" He actually sounded a bit proud of that statement. Men. She'd never understand them.

"I don't see why you need to keep secrets," Tetra mumbled, redirecting her gaze to the training session taking place below.

"It won't be a secret forever," Linebeck pointed out. "The faster we reach my ship, the faster you'll know."

Tetra sighed, exasperated. "I told you already, we're sailing there as we speak."

"And I told  _you_ , we weren't going very fast," Linebeck reminded her.

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?" Tetra huffed, turning to look at him. They were already sailing at full sail per her orders.

"Tell the kid to get the wind blowing in the right direction, for one," Linebeck advised.

"It is…" Tetra trailed off as she realized that it had been a few hours since they'd started sailing.

"Last time I checked Four-Eye Reef wasn't to the east."

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Tetra demanded, getting to her feet. Every second they wasted sailing was another second that they could be looking for Ghirahim. Not that they were ready to face him just yet, but that was beside the point.

"In my defense, I was coming down here to tell the kid to fix it, but then I got … distracted," Linebeck's attention wandered to the two training heroes, and Tetra followed his gaze.

As she watched the two of them it became quite apparent to her that Kid was struggling with whatever Link was trying to teach him. Part of her was glad to see it, as it proved that she wasn't the only one having difficulty acquiring new skills, but another part of her despised the revelation because it only served as further proof that their counterparts were stronger than them.

Unconsciously she balled her hands into fists, almost as if she believed somewhere deep down that the action would make her stronger. "Oi, Kid! Take a break, and go change the wind direction!" Tetra ordered.

"We're kind of in the middle of something here," Link called over to her. It was clear the interruption irked him. "Can't that wait a minute?"

"No!" she snapped. "Kid, go do it.  _Now_." Kid didn't protest. In fact, he almost looked relieved as he laid down his weapon and moved to comply with her wishes. Thankfully, Link didn't stop him.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Link wondered as he set both of the wooden swords off to the side. "Aren't you supposed to be training with Zelda?"

"Worry about yourself," she told him. Of course, she knew he wouldn't listen.

"Did you guys fight? Like argument wise?"

"Are you deaf? I said to worry about yourself!"

Link held his hands up in defense. "Alright."

"Word to the wise," Linebeck spoke up, addressing Link. "Don't speak to women when they're angry. I've learned that the hard way."

Link gave a small laugh. "Noted."

If they said anything else, Tetra didn't hear it, for she turned on her heel and exited the room, heading, somewhat against her better judgment, to her cabin. The only good thing that she noticed upon entering her room was that Fi was once again tucked away inside the Master Sword. With any luck, she'd stay there.

"So how are the boys doing?" Midna wondered conversationally, floating in the air on her stomach, head propped up by her hands in interest and legs crossed behind her.

"Fine," Tetra said curtly, walking over to pick up the story book she'd dropped earlier in her anger.

"How are you doing?" Princess Zelda questioned her.

"I don't know why you're asking if you don't care," Tetra replied, her attention on wiping micro particles of dust off of the book in her hands.

"What make you think I don't care?" her counterpart asked, actually managing to sound curious.

"Because you're so unfeeling about everything!" Tetra exclaimed as she whirled around to face the princess. "How can all of this not bother you at all?"

For a long time, the princess didn't say anything, and Tetra began to wonder if Zelda had no idea what she was even talking about. When her counterpart spoke next her voice was low, soft, "It did."

"It did," Tetra repeated, as if to confirm she'd heard correctly.

"Yes."

"But it doesn't anymore?" Zelda shook her head. "Why not?"

"Well…" her counterpart said, drawing out the word as if she was buying time to come up with an adequate answer. "I just realized that it's all irrelevant. Hylia was a goddess once, just like Din, Nayru, and Farore, but she died. Hylia, the real Hylia, doesn't exist anymore."

"But we're her reincarnations so she does!" Tetra argued.

"In a sense, yes, she does," Zelda conceded. "However, she isn't us, and we're not her. We may have some remnants of her inside of us, the magic for instance, but aside from that we are our own people. If you really think about it, it doesn't matter what we were. It only matters what we are now, what we choose to be."

"I don't have the power to choose to be anything, though!" Tetra countered. "I might not have to be a goddess, but I have to be a princess whether I like it or not!"

"True, but being a princess isn't so bad. You have a lot of power," Midna spoke up.

"Which is useless if I can't do what I want," Tetra pointed out sulkily.

Midna shook her head as if she thought Tetra was being silly. "Oh, but you can."

At Tetra's puzzled expression, Midna elaborated, "Look you have an advantage being younger. Assuming you find a place to assert dominion over soon, you'll definitely need a regent until you're older which means you can basically do whatever you want while another person deals with the whole ruling the country thing."

"But what if I don't like how they rule?" Tetra wondered. Of course she didn't want to bear the responsibility herself, but that didn't mean she didn't care how her kingdom would be run someday.

"Don't worry, you'll still have a say in what goes on," Midna assured her. "My point is that with a regent, you could basically continue sailing around like this. Maybe not all the time, but you could still to do some treasure hunting or whatever. How's that for choice?"

Tetra couldn't help but crack a small grin at Midna's assertiveness. She had to admit, it was a good idea. She honestly hadn't even known it was possible to have someone rule in place of her, at least for a while. The thought made her feel a little better, but it didn't completely ease her worries. After all, she was still a princess. Nothing could change that.

As if she sensed Tetra still needed some convincing Midna said, "Trust me, being a princess is very fun! You get to enslave people!"

"Midna!" Princess Zelda gasped. "Do not fill her head with such notions. That is a terrible way to rule."

"I know, I know," Midna assured Zelda, waving her hand in a dismissive fashion. "I was just joking, though I did enslave Link once…"

"How?" Tetra demanded, intent on learning the secret to getting Link to listen to her. She'd been trying ever since she met him, and if Midna had a way to get it to work…

"Oh! That's right!" Midna said. "You weren't there when we told Kid about Link's adventure so you never heard how we met."

"Tell me," Tetra commanded. The Twilight Princess didn't argue and Tetra listened attentively as the tale was told. She couldn't help but be impressed by Midna's manipulation skills. Link really had followed her every command like a lost puppy. Though, now that she thought about it, he really didn't have any other choice if he wanted to save his friends. Still, it was manipulation at its finest and although it meant she'd probably never be able to get him to obey her, the knowledge still made for a good laugh.

"Why don't we get back to training?" Princess Zelda suggested once the tale was over. Tetra found herself agreeing. She really didn't mind learning magic so much. It could be fun … but most of the time it was frustrating, especially since her counterpart made it look so effortless.

"Just how long have you been doing this?" Tetra wondered, catching her breath after yet another failed shield spell.

"I started when I was ten," Princess Zelda informed her.

"Well, that explains it," Tetra muttered.

"Practice makes perfect," Midna piped up sagely from where she was perched on the back of Tetra's desk chair.

Tetra sighed in exasperation. "So I've heard, but is it true?"

"Yes," her counterpart said. "Now try again."

Reluctantly, Tetra complied but after a time it became boring and repeatedly more frustrating each time she failed. When Tetra complained and demanded to learn a different spell, her counterpart refused. However, she did agree to teach Tetra other skills she could perfect given time.

Pleased with the change of pace, Tetra listened readily and followed her counterpart's instructions. Soon she was able to construct what she liked to call a "bubble shield" around herself. Though it was difficult to move with, it did offer much more protection than the basic shield spell that only covered her front, if she managed to do it right, of course.

By the time they were rounded up for lunch, Tetra had learned much more than she thought was possible. While Nayru's Love was only a single spell, there were many different ways to mold it. Frankly, it amazed her to see just how flexible one spell could be. Not only could she protect herself, but she could also protect objects and people as well, though that took up much more energy. That, Zelda had told her, was the cost of magic. The more you asked of it, the more it took from you.

Even though it made sense, Tetra didn't like it one bit. Still, food helped just a little and then they retreated back to her room to continue training.

"Seriously, why are you hiding?" Tetra asked when Midna slipped out of her shadow and settled herself on the couch.

"Seriously, why do you care," Midna shot back playfully, a spark in her eyes.

Tetra blinked. Why did she care? It wasn't like she cared about Fi not being known to everyone so why Midna?

"I don't know," she admitted. "I just thought maybe it's boring hiding out in the shadows all the time, and you don't get to eat with us or anything. Doesn't that bother you?"

As she reclined on the arm of the couch, Midna appeared to be truly contemplating her words. At last, the Twilight Princess shrugged. "Maybe a little, but I don't really need to eat. Most of your light dweller food is terrible anyway."

"Wow, thanks." Tetra rolled her eyes.

"Besides," Midna continued, "the way I look now, the rest of them will think I'm some monster or something."

"No, they won't."

Midna gestured to herself. "I'm an imp. Does this look human at all to you?"

"You're a Twili," Tetra pointed out. "You're not human anyway."

"They don't know that. They won't even know what that means, and you really can't explain it because the Twilight Realm doesn't exist here." Tetra bit her lip. Midna had a point.

"Kid and I didn't know that or what the Twilight Realm was when we met you and we didn't judge … much," she added as an afterthought.

"Yeah, but you two aren't ordinary and you're kids besides. Of course you'd be open to this."

"But-"

"Look, I'll stop hiding when this curse is broken," Midna declared with finality. "And that can only happen when Ghirahim's dead so why don't you continue training to kill him?"

"Wait a moment, Midna," Zelda interjected. "If the Twilight Realm doesn't exist here … what of your power?"

"What do you think?" Midna shot back, annoyance plain in her tone.

"I saw you use magic earlier, so it can't all be gone," Zelda noted.

"It's not. It can't be completely gone but I'm automatically weaker because of the curse and now this…" Midna sighed. "Don't expect me to warp anyone anywhere because I can't do that now."

"Can you still help us fight Ghirahim when we find him?" Tetra wondered.

"As much as I'd love to, I really don't think so," Midna said dejectedly, looking at her hands and seeming to silently curse the lack of power they held. "Unless we break this curse or I find some other shadowy realm to draw power from, I can't do much."

"You can't draw power from regular shadows?" Tetra wondered. They needed as much strength as they could get to go up against Ghirahim since he now possessed the Triforce of Power.

"No, not unless they're attached to a mortal which would mean I'd have to drain power from one of you guys in a fight, and I won't do that because it'll make you weaker."

"Perhaps we can find a different way to break the curse on you," Princess Zelda proposed.

"How?" Midna wondered.

"I'm … not sure," Zelda admitted, frowning.

"A great fairy?" Tetra spoke up as the thought popped into her head.

"Fairies use light magic," Midna informed her. "I'm a shadow being. See the issue?"

"Yes," she said, frowning as well. "But there must be some way to change you back without Ghirahim's help."

Midna sighed. "Look, if there is, we don't know it, so there's no point in talking about it."

"I agree. Let's focus on training for now," Zelda said.

Tetra couldn't switch her focus just like that though because she realized that she did understand what Midna was going through. She was cursed into an entirely different form than she was used to, a weaker form made even weaker by their location. It wasn't so unlike Tetra being stuck as a fair-skinned princess a few days ago in Hyrule.

Unfortunately, the act of understanding didn't make fixing it any easier. If her counterpart was capable of helping Midna regain her true form then there was no doubt in Tetra's mind that it would have happened already. So Tetra could do nothing but agree with her companions and push the topic to the back of her mind in order to resume training. They'd figure it out eventually just like they had with her. It was only a matter of time.

For her, time seemed to be drawn out longer and longer the more she practiced defending herself from ridiculous "threats." The challenge had been entertaining at first, but now it was just dull. Her successive complaints eventually led to Zelda conceding to teach her how to use Nayru's Love offensively, much to her delight. She barely listened as Zelda warned her that it would be far more difficult and taxing than anything she'd done thus far. It didn't deter her in the least. If anything, it invigorated her. She liked to prove her counterpart wrong. If it was something Zelda didn't think she could do just yet, she welcomed it.

Unfortunately for Tetra, her counterpart was right. The skill was reserved for experts of Nayru's Love, which she was not as of yet. There was no way to retrieve the magic she used with this particular move, so she soon found her supply of magic nearly depleted causing Zelda to force her to revert to practicing the simpler versions of the shielding spell in order to prevent her from over exerting herself.

Though she grumbled about it, as it felt like she was taking steps back instead of forward, her counterpart did have a point. She could only build off of what she knew so if she perfected the basics, the more difficult things would become easier to execute.

Nonetheless, by the time dinner rolled around, Tetra was exhausted and firmly against doing any more training, at least for today. When she entered the mess hall, she could see that her best friend felt the same way, though she doubted Link was pushing him hard. She couldn't imagine Link being a strict teacher. Kid had probably gotten more breaks than her.

She couldn't stay bitter about it though, not with what was in front of her. Soup. And not just any soup. Kid's grandmother's soup. With all the training, she'd forgotten that she'd requested this as payment for staying past dawn. At the time, she'd only thought it a good decision because it'd taste good, but now she knew it was a great decision for reasons far beyond that.

Tetra had no idea what Kid's grandmother could possibly put in the soup to make it so delicious and rejuvenating, but whatever it was, it apparently restored magic too, a trait that didn't go unnoticed by her counterpart. Of course, when Zelda questioned Kid about the contents of the soup, the young Wind Waker had no idea.

After the meal, they went their separate ways once again. Adamant about what she'd decided prior to dinner, Tetra refused to train anymore.

"I feel good right now. I'd rather not have to sacrifice that until tomorrow," Tetra declared.

"Fair enough," Zelda conceded. "What shall we do then?"

"Talk?" Midna suggested.

"About what?" Tetra wondered.

"Whatever we want," Midna said, her tone indicating that doing so was a rare privilege. To be fair, it kind of was. Tetra never really got the chance to talk about anything that wasn't imperative to something they were doing. She had no idea what it was like for a princess with a kingdom to run, but she imagined it wasn't much different if Midna's tone was anything to go by.

But there was a problem with that kind of freedom. "I don't know what I want to talk about," Tetra admitted.

"How about…" Midna trailed off in thought before snapping her fingers as an idea came to her. "Your ship?"

"My ship? There's nothing interesting about my ship," Tetra stated.

''How long have you lived on it?" the princess asked, apparently deciding the topic was intriguing enough to discuss.

"All my life," Tetra declared proudly. Not many could say they were born and raised on a ship.

"Well, I could've guessed that," Midna said. "It's obvious that the constant motion doesn't bother you at all." She cracked a smile. "It does bother Link though."

"Yeah, I noticed," Tetra assured her with a smile of her own. Then she turned to the princess. "By the way, why aren't you bothered by it too?"

"Because, unlike Link, I have sailed before," Princess Zelda announced.

"I thought Hyrule was landlocked," she said.

"It is," her counterpart assured her. "However, Labrynna is not."

"Labrynna?"

"It is a country neighboring Hyrule," Zelda explained. "It's bordered by an ocean, the Zora Seas."

"Why'd you go there?" Midna wondered.

"It was for vacation a few years ago," Zelda stated.

"Bet you weren't on a pirate ship," Tetra smirked.

"No, I was not. That would have been troublesome."

"Were there pirates?" Tetra inquired.

"Not that I know of," Zelda replied, "But there were Zora…"

Soon, Tetra and Midna found themselves listening as Zelda described her vacation in Labrynna, adding comments of their own here and there. It sounded like a great place to visit, and Tetra couldn't help but be fascinated by the ocean Zelda described. Not only did it have fish, but Zora lived there too. Supposedly, there was even a mysterious bit of ocean, known as the Sea of Storms.

She grew comfortable casually talking with her companions about things that didn't matter, so it was no wonder she was surprised when she was summoned above decks by a shout from one of her crew informing her that they had arrived.

As soon as Midna disappeared back into the shadows, Tetra and Zelda made their way to the main deck. A light rain filtered down from above, but it was nothing to worry about.

They were just in time to witness Linebeck hop down to his own ship. Even in the relative darkness of night, Tetra could see dark gray smoke puffing out of the pipe that normally emitted steam. Jolene's torpedoes really were fearsome then. Tetra doubted her ship would still be standing if it had been struck by one.

Tetra waltzed over to the railing where Kid and Link were stationed, and leaned over, trying to assess the damage. She could see the impact zone clearly. The front hull of the ship was dented, but other than that it didn't look too bad, all things considered.

They watched as Linebeck wrenched open the door to the innards of the ship and immediately recoiled as a generous amount of smoke billowed out. The sea captain cursed, waving the smoke away with his hand.

"Do you need help?" Kid wondered.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. Go below and open all the portholes," Linebeck said as Kid hurdled the railing and made the short leap to the smaller vessel. "And for goddesses sakes, stay low." This last part, Linebeck grumbled while pushing Kid towards the stairs that led to the lower deck.

"Nothing's on fire in there, is it?" Link checked, making Kid pause and glance back at Linebeck for an answer.

"If this ship hasn't blown yet, then it isn't going to. It's fine," Linebeck assured them, waving for Kid to go on ahead.

"But-" She never did get to hear Link's protest, for it was drowned out by a call from above.

"What is it, Zuko?" Tetra shouted up to the pirate looking down at her from the crow's nest.

"Enemies approaching fast on our starboard side!" Zuko announced, sounding concerned. Tetra hurried to the starboard side of the ship, head spinning. Zuko never fibbed. He wasn't one for jokes or pranks so he couldn't possibly be pulling her leg. Yet what did enemies mean anyway? Were they normal ocean enemies? If so, why did he sound so frantic about it? Was Ghirahim actually doing something? As much as she wanted to believe otherwise, they weren't ready for that. Not yet.

Tetra gripped the railing anxiously, eyes scanning the ocean for any sign of the opponents that Zuko had warned her about. For what felt like forever she saw nothing. Then she blinked and everything changed.

Fins. Dozens of them, hundreds, cutting through the water and heading straight for them.

"Are those sharks?" Link breathed from beside her, actually sounding a tad intimidated. She didn't have time to be startled by his sudden presence, only relieved.

"Gyorgs," she corrected him sharply, her eyes never leaving the water. "Get your bow out."

Link didn't argue. He swiftly drew his bow from his inventory and nocked an arrow, aiming it at the water in anticipation of the first shark-like monster's approach.

The literal wave of monsters came far quicker than either of them anticipated, and Link loosed his arrow, striking one and killing it. Tetra would think this would enrage the rest of them, but it didn't. They just kept swimming, passing the pirate ship and occasionally brushing the hull with a fin.

Link readied another arrow but didn't release it. "They're not attacking," Link observed after thirty seconds passed in tense silence as they watched the Gyorgs stream past the ship, turning the water dark purple with their mass of powerful bodies.

"No," Tetra agreed. "They're fleeing." Which didn't make sense. Gyorgs were renowned for being ocean killing machines. They didn't  _flee_  from anything, even things that wanted them dead.

"What are they afraid of?" Link pondered, lowering his weapon.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, we don't want to find out," Tetra declared, stepping away from the railing and turning to retrieve Kid. They needed to get out of here. Now.

She got about halfway across the deck before the ship shook so violently that even those skilled at sea like her were forced to the floor. It continued to buck as if they were caught in a nasty storm but they weren't. The drizzle falling from the sky was nothing near drastic enough to cause such movement. Exclamations of surprise rang out across the deck as everyone tried in vain to figure out what was happening while simultaneously grappling for any handhold they could find.

Then, just as soon as it started, it stopped. Soon after, the rest of them settled into an uncomfortable silence as they all waited for something to happen. After a few seconds, Tetra cautiously began to get to her feet, which prompted her crew to do the same. Link and the princess were more hesitant but she really didn't care about them at the moment. She was more concerned about whatever had just rocked her ship.

' _It could've just been a rogue wave kicked up by those Gyorgs,'_  she reasoned silently to herself as she approached the railing. As soon as she reached the wooden beam she leaned over it, peering into the still, black waters, brows furrowed.

Nothing was there. No. Wait. There was something. Tetra leaned over the safety rail as much as she dared, engaging in a staring contest with the water. It was almost as if the sea was staring back at her with an eye of its own, made entirely of sea foam. The sight mesmerized her. Unconsciously, she leaned closer, unwilling to blink for fear of shattering the illusion before her. It turned out, she didn't have to. The watery eye blinked for her.

She drew herself up a little straighter at that, wary. Was she just seeing things or…?

Suddenly a tentacle shot up from the water, startling Tetra into abandoning her post at the railing. She scrambled back, but it didn't feel like it was fast enough, or far enough, to be safe.

Before she could think to distance herself farther, shouts rang out from behind her. She whirled around to see the majority of her crew gawking at the port side where five tentacles, identical to the one that had startled her, were stationed, swaying in the air.

They didn't stay that way for long. Tetra watched in horror as the tentacles on the other side of the ship began to descend towards her frozen crew.

"Move you idiots!" she yelled at the immobile men who were captivated by the suction-cupped things that were quickly approaching them.

She was so concerned for them that she forgot to assess the situation on her own side until it was too late. Before she could utter a sound, Tetra was slammed onto the deck, and soon pain was all she knew.


	13. Tentalus 2.0

His instincts, Link decided, were both a blessing and a curse. Admittingly, they did grant him immaculate reaction time. Tackling Tetra to the floor had been easy and executed without so much as a thought on his part. But that was the problem. The thoughts came later. In his case, they came a second later, when a giant tentacle was already in the process of descending to crush both him and the girl he was crouched over.

Without any time to regain his balance, Link brought his shield to bear. It wasn't enough. The tentacle's slap drove him to his knees, and he immediately braced his left hand against the floor to keep himself from succumbing completely to its weight.

Even so, he found himself struggling beneath the colossal appendage, the shield raised above his head gradually drawing nearer. He knew he couldn't hold it off much longer. At least, not in this position, but he also knew that attempting to move into a better one wouldn't bode well for him or Tetra, so he stayed put, praying his arm didn't break under the pressure.

The goddesses must have heard his prayers, for just when he was sure his arm would snap, the tentacle slithered off of his shield, blessing him with sweet relief. Letting out the breath he'd unconsciously been holding, Link straightened and turned to Tetra for an explanation.

"What is that thing?" he asked, holding out a hand to help the young pirate up. He shouldn't have been surprised when she slapped it away.

"What's your problem?!" she demanded, glaring up at him and rubbing her elbow. "That hurt ya know!"

"And  _that_  would have hurt a lot worse," Link countered, flinging an arm in the direction the tentacle retreated in to emphasize his point. Tetra followed the gesture with a scowl on her face but it quickly transformed into a look of horror.

"It's going to wreck my ship!" she cried, scrambling to her feet and drawing her dagger. She was darting forward before he could stop her, and as Link made to follow, the sight he was greeted with momentarily froze him to the spot.

The tentacle that had nearly crushed them both had wrapped itself firmly around the railing like some grotesque, over-sized snake, and it wasn't the only one. Four more joined it, squeezing the wood so hard that he could hear it beginning to splinter.

Not wanting to put "ship wrecked" on his list of experiences, Link moved to help, reaching for his own weapon only to have empty air meet his grasping hand. Stupid. He'd left it in Tetra's room.

At the time it had seemed reasonable enough. He and Kid had been training with the wooden swords, so there'd been no need for either of them to have real weapons on their person. It would have only hindered their training. But Link hadn't wanted to cast the weapons aside in case some rogue wave came and sent them tumbling into their training. Nor had he wanted to store the Master Sword in his adventure pouch. It just seemed wrong knowing that there was a spirit inside it. Sure, Fi wasn't a flesh and blood person, and she was emotionless so she most likely didn't have the ability to feel offended, but Link hadn't wanted to take any chances. So they'd entrusted their blades to the girls' care.

Now, though, he was regretting that decision. His reasoning was pure ludicrous. No matter what, you kept your sword close to you at all times. It was one of the first things he learned about being a hero. Choosing to ignore that knowledge had been his own folly, so he could blame no one but himself for his current predicament.

Swearing loudly, Link backed away from the railing and pivoted on his heel, racing for the door that led inside the pirate ship. His hastiness nearly caused him to lose his footing on the rain-slicked boards, but he managed to get inside without falling.

Reaching Tetra's room, however, was another matter. Despite the floor being dry, it was far from stable, which made the relatively short journey from one door to the next feel less like feet and more like miles.

Knowing time was of the essence, Link tried his best to ignore the heaving of the floorboards as he moved forward, but they would not be ignored, it seemed, for a second later he found himself fighting for balance as the ship listed dangerously to the left, and he was slammed into the wall. The message was clear. Moving wasn't a good idea. At least, not while the floor was bucking like a wild animal. Resigning to this fact, Link impatiently waited until the vessel righted itself before continuing.

Just as he managed to throw open the door to Tetra's room and stumble inside, another unexpected tremor traveled through the ship, slamming the door closed behind him. Link was so intent on his mission that he didn't have time to be startled by it. He simply continued once he'd regained his footing, scooping up the sacred sword from the floor and turning to leave until another object caught his eye. Kid's sword, also laying on the ground.

Link exhaled heavily through his nose in exasperation. They were supposed to be getting better at this, not worse. Why were they always unprepared? It seemed like no matter how hard he tried to prevent them from being caught unawares, it found a way to happen anyway. But Link knew he hadn't exactly done  _everything_  he possibly could. They could have kept their blades with them while training, or they could have retrieved them when they were finished. But he'd been careless. He'd let his guard slip, and that was something they couldn't afford. It put them all at more risk than need be.

Now, not only was he wasting time to retrieve  _his_  weapon, but Kid was unarmed as well. Granted, he was on Linebeck's ship, so he was probably safer than the rest of them at the moment, but still. Those tentacles were very flexible and because of their impossible size, they had even better reach. If the monster wanted to, it could easily attack Linebeck's ship as well, and if it hurt his counterpart or anyone else-

"Hey, wolf boy!" Midna snapped, startling him out of his anger induced thoughts. "Are you going to get out there and fight or what?"

"I'm going," Link said, swiftly strapping the sheathed Master Sword onto his back, and then grabbing Kid's forgotten weapon and shoving it in his pouch. He'd give it to him later.

As he opened the door, a thought struck him, and he stopped. Removing his sword and shield in record time, Link delved into his pouch, ignoring Midna as she reemerged from his shadow and demanded to know what he was doing.

"This is no time to be changing clothes," Midna admonished as she watched him produce the Zora Armor from his inventory. Link ignored her, focusing his full attention on equipping the pesky armor and trying not to think about just how much more time he was wasting by doing this.

Too many minutes later, Link reemerged on deck, only to be assailed with a cacophony of sound. Everything from the rain patting the worn floorboards to the yells of those around him combined into one raucous monster that threatened to deafen him.

His quickly developing headache urged him to seek refuge inside the ship where the noise would be muffled, but he resisted. There was still a sea monster to take care of and from the look of things, his help was urgently needed.

Tetra was diligently barking orders at her crew, and while a select few of them were too frantic to be of much help, most of them were obeying their captain, racing back and forth between both sides of the ship, desperately hacking and slashing at the tentacles in an attempt to repel them. But their weapons might as well have been made of air for all the good they were doing. Even Zelda's magic appeared to be ineffective.

Tightening his grip on the Master Sword, Link dashed into the action. Surely a sacred sword could do some damage, right? He didn't know and asking Fi would take too long. He was nearly close enough to take a swing at one of the tentacles anyway. He'd have his answer soon enough.

Or he would have, if the monster hadn't decided to rock the ship just then. Screams, this time of pure fright, were wrenched from the throats of everyone onboard as they all fought for their balance, clinging to whatever they could. It was considerably scarier when one could see the monster attacking the ship.

Since Link wasn't close enough to grab onto anything, he could do nothing but try to right himself. Unfortunately, the flipper-like boots of the Zora Armor offered little to no traction, and he hit the ground almost immediately.

By the time he managed to get back on his feet, everyone else had already returned to attacking the creature, their actions twice as desperate as before. It seemed odd to him. Shouldn't the pirates have been able to handle a sea monster? Weren't they common here?

A loud whistle sent a new stab of pain through his head, and Link turned toward the sound, irritated. He'd been doing so well with blocking out the noise that he'd hardly felt the ache in his head. Until now, of course.

"New plan!" Tetra announced as she marched across the deck among the chaos. "Zelda, get a shield up around the entire ship."

"Wait-" Zelda protested.

"You can't do it?"

"I can, but-"

"Then do it," Tetra ordered. Reluctantly, Zelda obeyed, steeling herself for the spell she was about to cast. He didn't get to watch her cast it for Tetra whirled around just then, pointing a finger at him in a commanding manner.

"Link-" She paused at his strange attire, her confident stance faltering. "What are you wearing?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but just as she did Zelda, Tetra cut him off, waving a hand in dismissal. "Never mind. Just ask Fi what to do."

"You don't know?" It was less of a question and more of a shocked statement.

"If I knew then I wouldn't be asking, now would I?" Tetra glowered.

He sighed. "No, of course not, but … this isn't normal here? Like as far as sea monsters go?" He couldn't be sure. Many things on the Great Sea were new to him and he was finding that what seemed strange to him was actually normal.

"No!" Tetra snapped. "Now ask Fi."

Link was pretty sure that if Fi had any suggestions, she would have spoken up by now, but he humored Tetra anyway. He didn't have much of a choice seeing as the young girl was waiting expectantly for him to obey, arms crossed and foot tapping the ground.

"Fi." As soon as her name passed his lips, the human-like sword spirit materialized in front of him. She floated there attentively, her expression just as passive as it always was. "Do you know how we can get rid of the tentacles?"

"I lack sufficient data to answer your inquiry," Fi stated.

"Oh come  _on_!" Tetra exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "You really have no advice for us?"

"No. In order to obtain the data I need, I must first assess my Master's skills as he combats the monster." Fi reported.

Tetra gaped at him. "You haven't even attacked it yet?!"

"I haven't had a chance," Link replied defensively.

Tetra rolled her eyes. "Of course you haven't because you've been playing dress up while we've been busting our butts to protect the ship."

"First of all, this is protective gear," Link informed her, gesturing to his outfit, "second, I was getting my sword so I could help you guys, and third, it doesn't seem like you're doing much of anything anyway."

"You-!"

"Both of you, quit it," Zelda interjected before Tetra could complete her retort. "Link, go get the data Fi needs. Tetra, stop distracting him."

"Distracting him?!" Tetra screamed in disbelief.

Rather than stay to hear the resulting argument, Link took the opportunity to escape and hurried over to the nearest tentacle.

There was no shield surrounding the ship, so he presumed that the princess had taken it down while he and Tetra were arguing. Either that, or she'd never managed to get it up in the first place. Either way, nothing stood between him and the tentacle. Link raised his sword, aiming a horizontal slice at the stubborn creature's limb.

As soon as his attack met the monster's flesh it encountered resistance, bouncing off and causing the plump appendage to jiggle like jelly. He tried once more, this time executing a vertical slice but the results were the same. Puzzled, Link inspected the purple tentacle. He had to be doing something. But no. Its surface was smooth, completely unmarred by his sword strikes.

"Master, I detect strong similarities to a certain abyssal leviathan that my first Master defeated. Therefore, I suggest using sacred power to dispatch the tentacles," Fi reported, appearing beside him.

"Sacred power?" Link repeated. "Like … a Skyward Strike?"

"Correct."

Wasting no time, Link raised the Master Sword to the weeping skies and watched as light mingled with rain, crawling down the blade and eventually engulfing it. He lowered the sword, careful not to accidentally release the power before he was ready.

Once again, Link aimed a horizontal slice at the bulbous tentacle before him. With sacred power coursing through the steel, the Master Sword sliced easily through the appendage, cutting it in two. The violet-tinged tentacle quickly turned black, writhing for a few seconds on the railing before flopping back into the water with an impressive splash and then disappearing.

He didn't know exactly how it worked, but he wasn't going to argue with it. Link raised his blade skyward once more, and as soon as it was charged he hacked through the next tentacle which blackened and released the ship in much the same manner as the other.

Boisterous cheering erupted from behind him, and it took Link a second to realize that it was directed at him. As he pointed his sword to the sky for the third time, Link glanced over his shoulder, trying to discern what the pirates were shouting as the sacred power charged.

"Finally!"

"Keep it up, lad!"

"Don't stop!"

Well, they didn't have to worry about that. Link didn't have any intention of stopping until all of the tentacles were gone. Returning his full attention to the boneless limbs wrapped around the railing, he made to attack the third one in line. However, the abrupt silence behind him caused him to hesitate, and he halted his attack, glancing up to see two tentacles looming over him.

That wasn't how it was supposed to work. Fi had some explaining to do. Link brought his shield up, knowing he wouldn't be able to move fast enough to avoid the things completely.

Suddenly a blue barrier surrounded the ship and the tentacles slammed down on top of it instead.

"Move!" Zelda commanded, but Link had already dropped his guard and was running to a safer location. He didn't see Zelda dispel the shield, but he knew when she did for the ship listed dangerously, and he lost his balance, falling heavily to the deck along with everyone else.

"We're all gonna die!" Niko wailed in despair as they all witnessed the two revived tentacles reclaim their previous positions on the railing.

"No, we're not," Link muttered.  _'Not if I have anything to say about it.'_ Struggling to his feet, Link began to prepare another Skyward Strike since the last one had been dispelled when he'd fallen. Nothing was indestructible. It was just a matter of finding its weakness, and judging by the tentacles' reaction to sacred power, he just had to rinse and repeat until they stayed down.

Link approached the closest tentacle but before he could bring his sword down a shout stopped him.

"Don't!" Tetra yelled at him as she quickly closed the distance between them.

"Do you have a better idea?" Link demanded. They didn't have time to be sitting idle, deciding what to do. They had to take action. Now.

"Actually, I do," Tetra countered. He expected a satisfied smirk to creep onto her face but it didn't. Her expression was dead serious and even though he'd seen her serious before, this was different. So he listened, not that she gave him much of a choice, her oceanic orbs piercing his own despite the fact that she was a good deal shorter than him. "Linebeck's ship has a cannon. With it we can blast these things to pieces. The only problem is that neither Linebeck nor Kid is answering me."

"So what do you want me to do? Jump over there tell them to help us?" Link wondered, hoping it wasn't true. The water was far from welcoming even with the Zora Armor on, and he wasn't sure he could make the leap to Linebeck's ship with an unstable starting point.

"No, help me get their attention." She turned to address her crew and counterpart. "The rest of you keep attacking it. Even if it isn't getting rid of it, it's at least preventing it from snapping the ship in half."

With that, the fiery pirate captain turned on her heel and hurried away. Link had little choice but to follow her, his blade pulsing with sacred energy. Its glow was more prominent in the dark of the night than it was in the daylight.

When they reached the upper deck of the ship, Tetra began shouting for Kid, and Link chose to let out a piercing whistle, not unlike the one he'd used to get the attention of those inside the café at Windfall Island the other day. It didn't help ease his headache, but it did distract him from all the other noise.

Their combined efforts eventually enticed Kid out of the innards of the strange ship. Unlike Tetra's, it had no sail. Link couldn't begin to fathom how it was able to cut through the water at all, but now wasn't the time to concern himself with such things.

"Finally!" Tetra huffed. "Are you aware that we're being attacked while you two twiddle your thumbs down there?!"

"We weren't-"

"Whatever. Use the cannon to get these things off my ship!" Tetra yelled.

"I can't!" Kid called back.

"Why not?"

"It's not working right now," Kid informed them. "Nothing is."

Tetra cursed colorfully and muttered something about useless "engines," whatever that was, under her breath.

"But I can use arrows, I think," Kid spoke up, trying to assuage Tetra's stress.

Link raised his eyebrows at that. Surely his counterpart knew that arrows were like tooth picks compared to these things. Unless he meant bomb arrows but even then, Link doubted they'd work.

"No offense, but I really don't think an arrow can harm these things. Sword strikes do nothing and Skyward Strikes only get rid of them for a few seconds," Link said.

"Well, have you tried hitting the eyes?" Kid wondered.

"Eyes?" Link repeated.

"What eyes?!" Tetra demanded.

Kid pointed and the two of them leaned over the side of the ship, trying to follow Kid's finger.

"I still don't see them!" Tetra complained, leaning so far over the side that it was a wonder she didn't fall.

"They're there," Kid assured her.

"Then what are you waiting for? Shoot them already!" Tetra huffed, straightening much to Link's relief. They didn't need anyone falling into the water.

When Link redirected his attention to Kid, he found his counterpart nocking an arrow and aiming for a weak point that only he could see. Before Kid released the projectile, Link grabbed onto the side of the ship. It turned out to be a smart move, for the entire vessel shuddered when the arrow met its mark. Clinging to the side for stability, Link glanced over at the tentacles. None of them had budged.

' _Did Kid miss?'_  he wondered. It seemed unlikely considering the monster's reaction. As the ship began to settle, Link and Tetra peered back over the side just in time to see Kid release another arrow.

"It's closed!" Kid announced as the ship trembled once more.

When Link looked, however, he was dismayed to see that nothing had changed. Would a Skyward Strike work now? There was only one way to find out.

Getting to his feet, Link raced towards the nearest tentacle, hoping it was the right one as he sliced through it. The tentacle blackened and fell into the water, giving Link a small window in which to clearly see his counterpart on the other ship.

Link's gaze, however, was not on Kid, but on the churning water below, searching for any sign of the monster tentacle he had just felled. He began to count in his head. When he reached ten and no tentacle made to replace the first, Link instructed Kid to keep going.

As his counterpart notched another arrow, Link pointed the Master Sword to the sky, waiting impatiently for the sword to charge up. It didn't take more than three seconds, but it still felt far too long. At this rate, the railing would break and the rest of the ship would soon follow.

"Don't hit it yet!" Kid called hurriedly as Link prepared to attack the next tentacle. He waited with his weapon raised, eyes on Kid as he released another arrow. It worked just as it had last time, causing the tentacle to shake the ship in its pain.

Link had been prepared for this and was already gripping the railing to steady himself as he sliced cleanly through the next tentacle in line.

By the time they began to work on the fifth tentacle, they had established a pattern that was practically second nature. Kid released an arrow and as soon as he did Link pointed his blade to the stormy sky, knowing that by the time the sword was charged his counterpart would have already taken the eye out of commission.

This particular tentacle, it turned out, had other plans. It repositioned itself so that Kid's next arrow snapped upon impact. Link thought that was it; that it would drop its defenses, but it didn't. The tentacle continued to move, unwinding itself from the railing.

Guessing what this meant, Kid quickly notched another arrow and let it loose. The tentacle, now free to move as it pleased, dodged to the side, and then began to descend, its sights locked on Kid.

Praying that it would be enough, Link cut the air, watching as a crescent-shaped beam of energy shot out of the Master Sword and sped towards the unsuspecting tentacle. The sacred energy passed straight through it and his heart skipped a beat. Kid was going to be-

Suddenly, the colossal appendage froze in midair, just a few feet shy of the deck of the smaller vessel. It split cleanly in two, blackening as if scorched by fire, half of it falling into the water immediately while the other half hit the deck before joining the first piece in the ocean.

"It's going to come back," Link said, narrowing his eyes at the nearly black water and wishing the light cast by the lanterns stationed at the front and rear of the pirate ship reached farther so he could see better.

In anticipation of the tentacle that was bound to reappear, Link charged up the Master Sword while Kid nocked another arrow, leveling it at the water warily.

As the seconds ticked by with no sign of the purple appendage, Link began to wonder if he was wrong. Maybe Kid's first arrow had damaged it more than they'd thought. Or maybe it only took one arrow to the eye make the entire limb vulnerable to attacks.

Just as he opened his mouth to voice this, the tentacle shot up from the ocean, spraying salt water everywhere. Kid immediately loosed his arrow and the tentacle jerked, writhing in pain as the projectile met its mark. Link raised his sword in preparation as Kid aimed for the monster's limb once more. Unfortunately for them, the tentacle was faster and slammed itself down onto the ship before either of them could attack.

Link didn't have to fight for balance this time because Tetra's ship hadn't been struck. It had been Linebeck's.

He gritted his teeth as Kid's scream entered his ears. Hardly taking time to aim, Link released the sacred energy towards the tentacle, watching the crescent of light streak through the darkness and briefly illuminate its intended target as it passed it by.

The tentacle straightened to its full height, so that even in the dim lighting Link could plainly see that it held his counterpart in its clutches.

It stayed like that for a second or two, as if taunting him, before plunging down into the sea with its captive. His body acted while his mind was still trying to process everything, and Link soon found himself submerged in salt water, eyes burning as they roved the black water around him, searching for any sign of Kid. But he might as well have been swimming in ink for all he could see.

Knowing it was unlikely that the tentacle was still near the surface, Link swam downwards. Slowly, very slowly, his eyes began to adjust, but it wasn't fast enough. He needed to see what was happening  _now_.

"Down to your left. Hurry," Midna's voice startled him, but he didn't waste time responding. Link swam blindly in the direction his shadowy partner had indicated. Before too long he could see the general outline of the tentacle, but it was too far away for him to get to quickly and still moving besides. He'd never catch up in time, not as long as he swam.

After a small struggle to retrieve the double clawshots from his pouch, Link cast another look around, quickly locking his sights on the still moving tentacle. He aimed and let the claw fly, elated when it buried itself in the tentacle's bulbous flesh and propelled him through the water, closer and closer to the appendage until he slammed into it, expelling all the air from his lungs. His grip on the clawshot, thankfully, remained firm.

As he breathed in the heavily salted air that filtered through the fabric covering his nose and mouth, Link couldn't help but wonder how long Kid could hold his breath. It couldn't be very long, especially given the situation.

Shooting his second clawshot up ahead, Link released his current hold on the tentacle and allowed his new grip to pull him closer to the tip of the appendage. Unfortunately, it wasn't close enough. It took another carefully aimed clawshot to get him eye to eye with Kid.

Panic clouded his counterpart's eyes, and as he took in the full situation, Link was sure his own panic was becoming more and more apparent in his own orbs. He didn't have much time left to make his rescue, and it wasn't going to be as simple as he'd hoped. Kid's arms were pinned to his sides and the tentacle was so thick that even though it wrapped around him just a few times, his entire body was swallowed up by it.

Link's only choice was to cut him out. Stowing his other clawshot away and drawing his sword, Link swung his blade at the oversized appendage, remembering a second too late that it wouldn't work.

The attack bounced off, jarring his arm and causing the tentacle to flail in protest. Unprepared, Link was nearly thrown off, but he managed to tighten his grip on the clawshot at the last second. He stole a glance at Kid just long enough to confirm that he was still alright, before pointing the Master Sword towards the surface.

Impatiently, Link watched as the sacred energy began to engulf the blade, then flickered out as the tentacle's movements caused him to surrender his form. He tried once more but the result was the same. Growling in frustration, Link gave up on that method and sheathed the sword, resorting to trying to free one of Kid's arms one handed since he didn't dare release his hold on the clawshot lest he get separated. Even Midna pitched in, giving her hands substance and trying her best to help Link work Kid free.

As slippery as the tentacle was, one would think it'd be an easy task, but the suction cups on the underside held fast, making it nearly impossible.

"Midna, where's the eye?" Link asked without looking away from his work. Maybe if he could hit it then the monster would be in enough momentary pain to loosen its grip.

"Forget it. It's closed, you can't touch it." That wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Master." Fi! She must know some other way to get the tentacle to release Kid. Thinking the same, all three of them gave the sword spirit their full attention. "It is unadvisable to go without oxygen for an extended duration of time. I recommend getting him to the surface at the earliest opportunity."

"What do you think we're trying to do, Fi?!" Link yelled irritably, redoubling his efforts to break Kid out of the monster's hold while the sword spirit continued to spout information and calculations. He didn't bother listening to it. She couldn't help and every second counted. Kid couldn't hold his breath forever.

"Come on, come on…" Link muttered, trying to work Kid's right arm free. If he could do that, then the tentacle wouldn't have such a tight hold on him, and they could pull him out.

He knew it was taking too long when Kid suddenly stopped struggling, bowing his head and squeezing his eyes shut tight against the temptation to take a much needed breath.

"Don't breathe in!" Link exclaimed as if it was something his counterpart could control. He knew it wasn't, but Kid couldn't breathe in. If he did, he'd only take in water, and then he'd try to expel it but take in more anyway, and oh Farore…

Suddenly the tentacle thrashed, surprising them both and causing Kid to expel all his air, a flurry of bubbles escaping his mouth and nose, floating upward. But he was free!

Link retracted his clawshot from the monster's flesh and reached for his counterpart. But the monster had other plans. Angry that it lost its hostage, the creature lashed out, catching Link in the chest and sending him tumbling through the water. Cursing his rotten luck, Link righted himself and searched for his counterpart. Thankfully, his eyes had adjusted to the poor lighting by now, and he was able to spot Kid floundering in the water ahead of him.

Swiftly closing the distance between them, Link grabbed his counterpart and propelled them both towards the surface. He didn't look at Kid to see if he was awake or not, but seeing as the boy was practically dead weight in his arms, he feared that his counterpart had slipped into unconsciousness.

A gasp when they broke the surface proved him wrong along with the violent coughing fit that followed. Relief washed over him, but it didn't last long. The monster was still active which meant it could come for them any second.

As his counterpart coughed and spluttered to expel whatever water he'd swallowed from his lungs, Link scanned the rough water around them. It wasn't much use. The waves were too dark and choppy for him to see anything within the ocean's depths. They had to get onto a ship.

That was when Link realized they had a new problem. The ships were nowhere in sight.

Link didn't believe they'd been carried very far. It had to be the rain, which was now coming down in fuzzy white sheets, distorting his vision. Still, he didn't know which direction to take them in which meant they were sitting ducks until he was given a sign from one of the others or until the rain let up.

"Th-thanks." Kid's hoarse voice startled him.

Link tugged down the fabric covering his nose and mouth. "You really think I'd let you drown?" he asked, cracking a smile. "I'm not Fi."

A small smile flashed on his counterpart's face, but it vanished as Kid dissolved into another coughing fit.

"Are you okay?" Link wondered, concern creasing his brow. He didn't really want an answer. At least, not yet. Not while they were vulnerable like this.

Still coughing, Kid nodded. If Link hadn't noticed the pained expression on the younger boy's face, he wouldn't have thought twice about the truth of the answer he was being given. But he did see it, so all he could do was pretend that he didn't. It wasn't like he could do anything at the moment.

"Where's…" Kid trailed off, unable to finish his sentence due to being winded from his recent coughing fit. It didn't matter, for Link knew what he meant.

"I don't know," Link replied, casting a look around as well, though he knew nothing had changed since the last time he'd looked. "I can't tell with all the rain." The waves weren't helping either. They were unusually big and for all he knew they were drifting farther away from the ships.

"Master, I have a suggestion," Fi announced, materializing beside them. She was the brightest thing in the vicinity but even with her ethereal light, it was hard to see.

"Oh, this should be good," Midna scoffed.

Link sighed. "What is it?"

"Dowsing for Her Grace will prove beneficial in regaining your bearings," Fi reported. That … was actually sound advice.

"Set Zelda as the dowsing target," Link ordered. As soon as Fi complied with his request, Link let go of Kid, reaching to draw his sword from its sheath.

His fingers hadn't even brushed the hilt before a sudden weight forced him underwater. His first thought was that the tentacle had found them, but as he struggled to free himself of the weight he realized that it wasn't the suction-cupped, or even slimy, hold of a tentacle.

With some effort he hauled both himself and the weight to the surface, sucking in a breath of stormy air. It was a good thing he did because he was nearly forced under again. Now he knew it wasn't the monster.

"Kid! What are you doing?!" Link exclaimed, trying keep them both above the surface as Kid forced his entire weight onto his right arm.

"I can't-!" Kid gasped, a cough cutting him off. Suddenly Link understood and internally kicked himself for not realizing it earlier.

"Sorry!" he apologized, pulling Kid closer and supporting him properly so he didn't accidentally drag them both under again. Link had been stupid to think for a second that Kid could tread water himself. The poor boy had just nearly drowned. Of course he wouldn't be capable of holding himself above water at the moment. He could barely breathe with all the coughing he was doing.

Another apology was on the tip of Link's tongue, but he knew that no amount of apologies would be enough, so he remained silent. He should have been more vigilant before. Then Kid wouldn't have even been grabbed, and they wouldn't be in this position right now. Why couldn't he do things right the first time? Why did he have to keep messing up? Putting others in danger when he was supposed to be protecting them?

The blare of a horn startled him out of his thoughts, and he tensed, his grip on Kid tightening though there was no danger of the boy slipping out of his grasp.

"Linebeck!" Kid gasped.

"That's his ship?" Link guessed.

Kid managed to nod before another coughing fit took him. But that was all the information Link needed. He drew in a breath and yelled the sea captain's name, hoping his voice was loud enough.

A second passed. Then two. Both of them bobbed in the storm tossed waves, silent aside from Kid's harsh breathing and occasional cough.

"I don't think he heard you," Midna spoke up.

"Me neither," Link replied grimly, ears straining for another sound to point them in the right direction.

"Maybe I should turn you into a wolf and you can howl," Midna mused, grinning mischievously.

"No," Link said, not amused by her joke. "Why don't you help me yell?"

"How are you going to explain a girl's voice?" Midna wondered. He couldn't tell if she was teasing him or if she was serious. Either way, now was not the time.

"Midna," he said curtly, indicating Kid with a nod of his head. It was obvious that Kid wasn't going to be yelling anytime soon. The Twili seemed to get the message and conceded.

On his count, the two of them shouted for Linebeck, and after a short pause, there came the answering call of a horn. This time, he'd been paying more attention and he had a general direction. Relieved, Link began to slowly swim towards their salvation, careful as he pulled Kid through the rough waters with him.

When he caught sight of Linebeck's sail-less vessel through the pouring rain, he stopped and called out. To his relief, the ship reoriented itself so it was heading straight for them. Smoke still puffed out the top, so Link assumed that it hadn't been completely fixed just yet, but it didn't matter. It was solid and that meant it was safer.

"Some of the pirates thought you were dead," Linebeck informed them as the ship cruised to a stop nearby. " _I_ didn't though." He said this last part with pride in his voice.

"Great, can you help us up?" Link requested, swimming closer. At the moment, he could care less about what everyone had thought had happened to them. He just wanted to be out of the water. More importantly, he wanted to get Kid out of the water.

Linebeck must not have had a rope ladder, for they weren't given anything to climb aboard with aside from Linebeck's hand and that was currently out of reach since the sailor, for some reason or other, wasn't willing to bend over the flimsy guardrail, which was nothing more than a few wooden posts with a rope strung between them all.

Link let Kid go first, giving the boy a boost so he could reach Linebeck's proffered hand.

"Watch the paint," the man grumbled as Kid grasped his hand, scrambling for purchase on the smooth hull of the ship once Link could no longer support him. While Linebeck pulled Kid onto the vessel, Link scanned the water, watching for any signs of the monster or its tentacles. Actually, after seeing the tentacles, Link didn't much care to meet the creature they were attached to. Each tentacle by itself was roughly as long as Morpheel had been. It wasn't promising…

"Are you coming or what?" Linebeck wondered impatiently, snapping Link back to reality. Wordlessly, Link attempted to boost himself up but that didn't work out so well, as he had nothing but water to kick off of. He suddenly became conscious of the clawshot still clutched in his right hand and instructed them both to step away from the railing. Once they were a safe distance away, Link aimed and fired, letting the clawshot latch onto a post and pull him up onto the ship.

Reaching up and grabbing the top of the post with his free hand, Link pulled himself fully onto the ship, retracting the claw as soon as he was certain he had a firm grip. He then stepped over the rope, and stowed his tool away in his pouch.

"I'm not even gonna ask," Linebeck declared after a small pause, strolling to the door that led to the inside of the ship and throwing it open. The scent of smoke still lingered, causing Link to wrinkle his nose.

Kid let out a breathy laugh at the sea captain's comment that quickly turned into a cough.

"You should take a potion," Link advised him.

Kid shook his head. "I'm fine."

Link didn't believe that for a second. Kid's voice was hoarse, and though he was standing on his own two feet, Link noted that he was doing so unsteadily. Digging out a red potion from his belongs, Link tried to hand it to Kid, but his counterpart refused it.

"Just humor me," Link pleaded, concerned now. Why wouldn't Kid take it?

"I'm fine." He coughed. "I just swallowed some water."

Begrudgingly, Link put the potion away, but he kept an eye on Kid as the boy bent down to retrieve the bow and arrows he'd dropped earlier. Was that really the only thing wrong? He couldn't tell. Kid's movements were more lethargic than usual but that only made sense considering what he'd just gone through.

Link shook his head. He was just being paranoid. If Kid really was hurt, there'd be no question about it. He'd know. Besides, there was still a sea monster to kill, and they needed all the help they could get to do it.

"Don't forget this," Link said, producing Kid's sheathed blade from where he'd stowed it in his pouch for safe keeping earlier.

"Oh, thanks," Kid thanked him, putting away his bow and arrows and accepting the sword, strapping it on before heading inside the ship. Reluctantly, Link followed, bracing himself for the acrid smell of smoke. But the smell wasn't the first thing that hit him when he stepped inside shortly after his counterpart. It was a faded blue towel.

His gaze flickered to Linebeck who had returned to fussing over a panel full of levers and switches. He appreciated the gesture, but the Zora Armor was meant to get wet, and it dried fairly quickly.

Kid had already plopped himself down on the floor and judging by the tan towel draped over his head, Link deduced that he'd received the same treatment. Since he had little use for it, Link passed the towel in his hand to Kid. Not that it would be much help. His counterpart needed a change of clothes, not towels. Still, it was the best they could do at the moment.

"How far from the pirate ship are we?" Link wondered.

"Not far enough," Linebeck muttered, his attention still on the control panel in front of him.

"You are taking us back, right?" he checked. Linebeck seemed far too concerned for his own skin, and Link wasn't sure if he liked that. He could understand it, of course, large sea monsters were quite daunting, but leaving everyone else to fend for themselves was just plain cruel.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm working on it," Linebeck grumbled. "In the meantime, you two better not touch anything. It was hard enough repairing the engine in the first place…"

"What is an engine?" It was the second time Link had heard the word today and he was genuinely curious.

"It's a machine that converts steam power into energy," Linebeck replied, adjusting a lever and then taking hold of the wheel. "And if that makes no sense to you, then just know it's the most efficient way to do things."

"Except when it stalls," Kid spoke up, a small cough following his words.

"Shut up," Linebeck snapped. "That's Jolene's fault, not the engine's."

The conversation petered out then, leaving them in a tense sort of silence in which the only sound was the storm raging outside, battering the glass of the large viewing window and making Link very glad to be inside.

Unfortunately, the relatively safe environment didn't last long. Before Link knew it, Tetra's ship was in view, and from what he could see, things didn't appear to be going well. Ten tentacles were assailing the ship so Link could only assume that the four they'd disposed of earlier had regenerated. Perfect.

"Your aim better still be good, Kid," Linebeck commented as he took in the situation.

"It is," Kid said, getting to his feet.

"Good, go out there and man the cannon. I'll handle the navigation," Linebeck said, flipping a switch. There were so many Link had no idea how the man kept track of them all.

Knowing he wouldn't be much use to Linebeck, Link followed Kid outside, surprised to find a large cannon situated in the middle of the deck. That definitely wasn't there before. Kid, familiar with the functions of Linebeck's ship, didn't blink an eye at it and hurried over to it. It appeared to have a small control panel of its own.

"Finally!" Tetra exclaimed upon noticing their approach. "Get this stupid monster off my ship already!"

In response, Link unsheathed the Master Sword and charged it up so he'd be ready as soon as the first eye was out of commission. Now that he was on Linebeck's ship, Link could plainly see the eyes Kid had been talking about. They were similar to Midna's eyes in the sense that the sclera was yellow instead of white and the iris was a startling blood red. That, however, was where the similarities ended, for the eye bore another ring of color, green, and then gold, before the black pupil was introduced. As large as it was, it seemed hard to miss, but the tentacle was expertly folded, shielding the eye near the tentacle's tip from those onboard the pirate ship.

A loud boom rattled his bones and Link realized a second later that it was the cannon. He really shouldn't be standing so close to it, heightened senses and all, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice. The deck of Linebeck's ship wasn't nearly as roomy as Tetra's.

Upon returning his attention to the tentacles clinging to the ship, Link found one of the eyes closed. Taking that as his cue, he executed a horizontal slice in the air and watched as the sacred energy hit its mark, effectively destroying the tentacle.

The two of them continued like this, falling into an easy rhythm that was much more efficient than the one they'd started with. The bombs from the cannon took the eyes out of commission in one shot, which made the entire process faster.

Once they finished one side, Linebeck directed his boat to the other side of Tetra's ship and they resumed the pattern, making quick work of the remaining tentacles.

As the last limb turned black and fell into the sea, boisterous cheers erupted from the pirate ship, but Link found himself unable to join in their celebration. His intuition advised him against it, as did common sense. Those tentacles had to belong to something and the fact that they hadn't seen that something yet spoke volumes. Kid must have felt the same way, for he stayed silent, his grip on the cannon's controls remaining firm.

Their wariness turned out to be well placed, for a minute later the monster burst out of the ocean in a brilliant shower of water. Immediately, the cheering from the neighboring ship ceased, its occupants intimidated by the monster's terrifying image.

It was by far the largest sea creature Link had ever laid eyes on. He couldn't help but wonder how Tetra's ship was still whole after having such a monstrosity clinging to it. The monster's head alone must have weighed hundreds of pounds for the very top of its cranium was quite bulbous, sort of like a mushroom, while its actual face was round and purple with rage, though that may have just been its natural color. Eyeless tentacles writhed on the back of its head and around its mouth, which was open wide in an all too audible battle cry, showing off a ring of razor sharp teeth as if its massive bulk wasn't daunting enough.

"Now seems like a good time to leave," Linebeck piped up.

"No!" Link and Kid chorused.

"Why not?" Linebeck demanded. "Why can't we just let the huge monster be for once? It's not like it has anything we need."

"Because if we don't deal with it now, it'll go after someone else," Link pointed out.

"Or it'll follow us," Kid added.

"Stupid monsters…" Linebeck grumbled.

They all cringed as the monster let out another screech, perhaps insulted by the sea captain's comment, before plunging back into the sea. Even in the scant lighting, Link could make out the monstrosity's bulky form as it neared them. He sheathed his sword and grabbed his bow and arrows from his belongings in preparation for the incoming attack. However, it never came.

Instead, the monster continued past them and circled around the rear before disappearing behind the pirate ship. It reappeared a few seconds later, following the same path as before.

Silence reigned as everyone tried to puzzle out the creature's odd movements. But on the third complete pass it was broken.

"It's making a whirlpool!" someone from the neighboring ship yelled in realization. Suddenly, the chaos was back.

Digging out a bomb from his pouch, Link swiftly prepared a bomb arrow and waited for the sea monster to come back into view before firing. If not for the fizzing bomb attached to it, Link was sure he wouldn't have been able to keep track of the projectile. Since he could follow its path, he knew exactly when it struck the monster. And yet, the creature remained impassive, continuing to propel itself through the water with its many tentacles.

Link stared at the still mobile monster, unable to comprehend why it hadn't worked. Did the water nullify the explosion? Was its back impervious to any attacks? If so, they were in trouble. The whirlpool it was creating was starting to become glaringly obvious.

A streak of blue suddenly appeared in his vision, screaming towards the submerged monster. It hit the center of the creature, creating a sheet of jagged ice and forcing the monster to a standstill.

He turned to Kid. "How'd you know that would work?"

"I didn't."

A roar of disapproval, drew their attention to the monster. It had resurfaced and was now glaring at them with its main eye, one of its enormous tentacles raised like an arm. Kid took hold of the canon's controls, but before he could fire a shimmering blue shield appeared between them and the monster.

The tentacle slammed down onto the barrier, a spider web of cracks blossoming on its smooth surface.

"Now can we leave?!" Linebeck pleaded.

"No, but moving around is a good idea," Link replied as their shield disappeared and the creature raised its other arm.

The ship lurched forward, and Link's hand shot out to latch onto one of the posts so he wouldn't fall. He glanced back just in time to see the monster's tentacle slap the water, adding yet another wave to the already angry sea.

Another cannon blast rang in his ears as Kid fired at the creature. It batted at the projectile with a tentacle, causing the bomb to explode harmlessly in midair.

Deciding he would give it a try, Link readied another bomb arrow and took aim. There were three visible eyes. The main eye, and the eyes on the two tentacles. The question was: which should he aim for?

As the monster reeled back for another blow, Link decided that it didn't matter and let his arrow fly. Just like Kid's bomb, it was deflected. There had to be a better way to do this.

"Aim for the main eye, but shoot after I do," Link instructed his counterpart. Kid gave a nod to show that he'd heard, and Link nocked another arrow. He aimed just as he had last time and fired. Shortly after he released his projectile, Kid shot another bomb out of the cannon. The monster was so focused on batting his projectile out of the air that it didn't seem to notice the one headed straight for its face. At least, that's what Link thought.

The bomb was stopped by the other tentacle before it could strike the main eye.

"A report, Master," Fi said, materializing before him. "From my analysis I can conclude that this monstrosity is a more advanced version of Tentalus."

"Tentalus?" Link repeated. What in the world did that mean?

"Correct," Fi confirmed. "Because I have identified this monster with Tentalus, I have determined that there's a 99% probability that its largest eye is its weak spot."

"Yeah … thanks we kinda figured that out already. Do you have any advice on how to hit it?" Link wondered. Since when did Fi become captain obvious? Was it the sea air?

"I recommend shooting arrows immediately after Tentalus 2.0 attacks."

"Tentalus 2.0?" Kid echoed.

"I cannot refer to this monster with the same designation as the last because they are not exactly the same," Fi supplied. "Therefore, to eliminate confusion, I have given this monster a designation of its own that I have calculated as appropriate."

"Okay, thanks, Fi," Link said, dismissing the sword spirit and wondering why the monster needed a name in the first place. If things went favorably, it'd be dead soon anyway.

"I don't know about you, but I don't think waiting until  _after_  it attacks is a good idea," Kid spoke up.

"Me neither," Link agreed. So far that hadn't worked and if they stopped so it could attack them directly, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't be hurt.

"Do you think taking out the eyes on its tentacles would help?" Kid proposed.

"Yeah, but it'd be pretty difficult to do with the way it's defending itself. I think we need another distraction," Link said, his eyes drifting over to Tetra's ship which was still immobile. "Hey, Linebeck, take us closer to Tetra's ship but don't stop."

With some minor grumbling on his part, Linebeck complied, guiding the ship around the monster that was still trying its hardest to sink them and towards the larger vessel.

Once Link had determined them to be close enough he shouted for Tetra.

"What?" she demanded, appearing at the rail with an aggravated expression on her face, though that was nothing new.

"Do you have something you can launch at the monster?"

"Yeah, we're trying to-"

"Great, lis-"

"Don't cut me off!" Tetra screamed in annoyance.

Link sighed. "Really?"

"Yes, really!"

"Guys! Knock it off!" Kid exclaimed, a cough punctuating his words.

"Right, sorry," Link conceded. "We need another distraction so if you could fire at the left tentacle at the same time that I fire at the right, that'd be great."

"My left or the monster's left?"

"Yours."

"Done," Tetra declared, turning away from the railing and hurrying back to her crew.

Link readied an arrow once more and took aim.

"Ready?" he called to Tetra.

There was a short pause. "Ready!"

"Fire!" he shouted, releasing his arrow. Out of his peripherals, he could see a dark, round shape cutting through the air. Now all they needed was- _boom!_ That _._ Eagerly, Link watched as the monster used its tentacles to ward off the projectiles coming from both sides, leaving the single, bulging eye on its face wide open to the bomb that was hurtling towards it.

The explosion was brilliant, illuminating the monster fully in its fiery glow. The sea creature screamed. Link was sure that they'd blinded its main eye, but as the smoke cleared, he could plainly see the eye glaring at them with even more enmity than before.

As if reading his mind, Tetra shouted, "It closed its eye at the last second. We have to do it again!"

Linebeck redirected his ship so they didn't stray too far from the pirates, and Link reloaded with another arrow. It took slightly longer for the pirates to prepare this time, but thankfully Kid was able to keep the monster's attacks at bay with the cannon.

When everyone was ready, they repeated the plan. It worked just like before, except this time they knew they'd damaged the main eye. The monster's tentacles flew to its face and it ducked underwater, kicking up a large wave that rocked both ships and sent cold saltwater onto the deck of Linebeck's ship.

"Tell me it's dead." Linebeck requested.

"I'm gonna say-" The monster burst out of the ocean, its head startlingly close to the ship. "Nope!" Link took an involuntary step back and notching another arrow as the bloodshot eye peered down at him intimidatingly.

"This is exactly why I wanted to leave! But no! You two have to be heroes!" Linebeck griped from the control room.

Ignoring the cowardly sea captain, Link nocked a new arrow and shot it at the creature. As close as he was, it seemed impossible to miss, but he was wrong. He hadn't noticed the monster's swaying until the arrow neared it and by then it was too late to factor it into his aim. The arrow bounced harmlessly off of Tentalus 2.0's flesh.

After his failed attempt, he expected it to slam one of its enormous tentacles down on the ship, but it didn't. Instead, the creature lowered itself, so that its head was even closer.

Link didn't see the advantage this gave it until movement caused him to redirect his attention to the tentacles on its face. They weren't as massive as the ones on its body, but they were still quite large which was why they had excellent reach as they shot forward.

Stumbling back in surprise, Link noted another difference. These tentacles had mouths and within their gaping maws were rows of viciously sharp teeth, dripping with what he would have assumed to be saliva if not for the liquid's blackish-purple tinge. Venom, if he to take a wild guess.

With little time to regain his bearings, Link dropped his bow and drew his sword, brandishing it at the nearest snapping tentacle. To his delight, the blade met no resistance as it cut the tentacle into two pieces. It was a good thing too, because there was no time to charge up a Skyward Strike. The hungry tentacles kept coming and from the sounds of battle that had taken up residence behind him, they reached all the way to the pirate ship.

It seemed like for every one he defeated, another two rose to take its place, so Link was relieved when Kid rushed in to help him ward off the snake-like tentacles. But even with the tentacles divided in their attack and everyone working diligently, it didn't seem like their numbers were decreasing.

"Fi? Help?" Link requested, slashing through yet another tentacle and raising his shield to deflect two more that were fast approaching.

"It appears that Tentalus 2.0 can regenerate its tentacles at a faster rate than Tentalus. Even an all-out attack will not be swift enough to dispose of them. Therefore, I recommend ignoring the tentacles and focusing on hitting the eye," Fi reported before disappearing once more.

"I'll get the eye," Kid volunteered, cutting through two more tentacles before ducking out of the main battle and running for the cannon.

While he did that, Link concentrated on repelling the snapping nuisances. Any that he found creeping towards Kid were swiftly dealt with. No way was Tentalus 2.0 going to capture his counterpart twice.

Link felt the vibrations in his chest as Kid fired the cannon. The bomb arced over his head, heading straight for the main eye. Unfortunately, they'd forgotten about Tentalus 2.0's other tentacles and the bomb was batted away, the resulting explosion hot in Link's face.

He gritted his teeth. They couldn't do the same thing as last time. He didn't have time to retrieve his bow. If he tried, he was sure that he'd be bitten. But even if he could reach his bow, it wouldn't work. The monster was too close and everyone was too busy trying to keep the smaller tentacles at bay. There was just no time.

Suddenly, a blinding light lit up the darkness, and Link looked, though he knew he shouldn't. It was a light arrow, not aimed at anything in particular. One of the girls must have fired it judging by its course, but why?

Another cannon shudder and a shriek from Tentalus 2.0 gave him his answer. Link turned his full attention back to the monster. It withdrew its snapping tentacles and screeched again in pain, its two larger appendages hurrying to cover its ruined eye.

Kid fired another round at its tentacles and this time it was in too much pain to move before the explosion destroyed one of the eyes on its tentacles.

Lifting his blade to the sky, Link quickly gathered sacred energy and released it towards the vulnerable appendage. He smiled in triumph. The monster had one less limb to attack them with now.

Furious at the loss of its tentacle, Tentalus 2.0 lashed out, opening its mouth. Link gasped as a tentacle shot out of its gaping maw like a tongue and wrapped around his middle. With a yell, Link was lifted into the air and the tentacle began to retract back into the monster's mouth. He wasn't a snack!

Link pounded on the slimy tentacle with the pommel of his sword as hard as he could in the hopes that it would release him but it only tightened its grip. When he was close enough to feel the monster's hot, fishy breath, Link redoubled his efforts to break free. Though his efforts did nothing, a well-aimed bomb did a whole lot.

He quickly found himself falling and didn't have time to right himself before he crashed onto the deck of Linebeck's ship.

"Are you okay?" Kid asked, kneeling down beside him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied as soon as he regained his breath. "Nice shot."

Kid smiled. "Thanks."

They both started as the monster let out another harsh cry. Peering up at Tentalus 2.0, Link found himself mesmerized to see the giant creature throwing a tantrum, writhing in the ocean and splashing more water onto the deck as it did so. Its tongue must have been important to it.

Nonetheless, it didn't seem to be dead just yet. Link quickly located his discarded bow and lunged for it. He couldn't miss this opportunity. Swiftly readying a bomb arrow, Link pulled back the bowstring, aimed, and fired.

The explosive projectile flew true, hitting home in the pupil of Tentalus 2.0's main eye. The monster froze mid-tantrum, as if shocked by the arrow embedded in its eye. Without any warning, it became animated again, letting out an agonized wail that was much different than any sound it had made thus far.

They all watched in disbelief as the monster stiffened and its violet sheen grew black. It stayed that way for a while longer, like some grotesque statue, before exploding into a puff of purple smoke that the wind happily carried away.

For a while, silence was the only sound to be heard. Then, victorious cheers erupted from the other ship, and Link couldn't help but smile. They'd won.


	14. Old Scars

Adrenaline. In a way, it was a medicine all on its own. It poured strength into weak limbs and will into exhausted minds. It turned sensation into nothing more than a memory, numbing aches and pains to the point where they were virtually nonexistent. It made the seemingly impossible, possible, and it was for all those reasons that Kid was convinced that one could exist solely on the boundless energy that adrenaline provided. If it lasted forever, that is.

Unfortunately for him, it didn't. He could already feel his strength waning and the aches returning. But he wasn't alone. Everything seemed to be losing its ferocity. No longer were the sky's tears thin, jagged spikes that pricked the skin. They were soft, round droplets that grew fewer and fewer as the seconds dragged on. Soon they'd fade into nothing.

As for the ocean, it had ceased hurling itself at the hulls of the ships and clawing its way onto their decks. Even so, the sea was nowhere near flat and tranquil, but Kid knew that it never would be. The seas around Four-Eye Reef tended to be relatively rough no matter what. Still, they were calming.

The only exception to this gradual peace seemed to be the pirates. With the way they were hooting and hollering, one would think that they'd never battled a sea monster and won before, but Kid knew this wasn't true. It was just in their nature to be loud. Normally he'd join them, but at the moment he barely had the energy to remain standing.

Nevertheless, he couldn't shut down just yet. He still had to make the transition to Tetra's ship, and that was currently impossible with the crew being too invested in their celebration to provide any means of getting there.

Attempting to distract himself and perhaps instate a second wind, Kid busied himself by picking up the towel that had fallen off his shoulders sometime during the battle. The fabric was soaked, but that was no surprise. He began to wring it out, wincing when he felt a sharp stab of pain in his left arm. Rather than let it stop him, Kid kept going, sucking in a breath and letting the pain act as a replacement for the adrenaline. It wasn't preferable, but it worked well enough.

When he'd wrung the towel out as best as he could, Kid let himself into the control room, his arm throbbing. Linebeck was nowhere in sight, and if he'd had the energy to spare Kid would have laughed at how quickly the sea captain had made his disappearance once the monster was gone. Picking up the other stray towel, he continued down the stairs and headed to the engine room, knowing it was the most likely place he'd find Linebeck.

"Lineb- ow!" Kid's hand flew to his now aching forehead, and he rubbed the sore spot, ducking as something else went flying towards his face.

"What are you doing?" he wondered, trudging down the last two steps and watching as Linebeck rooted through the items in the room, tossing aside anything that wasn't to his liking, which just so happened to be everything he picked up.

From the state the room was in, Kid deduced that Linebeck must have been tearing it apart for a good while, but why the man was making such a mess in the first place was beyond him.

"Linebeck," he tried again.

"Augh! Where is it? Where?" Linebeck muttered, pushing aside a barrel to get at the items behind it, before thinking better of it and overturning it so it spewed its contents on the floor.

"What are you looking for?" Kid asked, picking his way through the mess to get closer to the frantic man.

"Ugh!" Linebeck slammed the barrel down in exasperation and whirled around. "It's not here! She took it!"

"Who took what?" he wondered, genuinely lost. He was too tired to play guessing games.

"The … the sea chart," Linebeck said distractedly, glancing around the room to in search of a place he hadn't scoured.

"If you need a new chart of the Great Sea, then I can-"

"No! It isn't of the Great Sea. It's of what's beyond the Great Sea," Linebeck corrected him.

Suddenly, Kid was wide awake. There wasn't such a thing. Was there? "How did you find something like that?"

"What can I say, I'm a lucky guy. Now help me look! By the Gods if that woman took it…" Kid didn't have to ask who Linebeck meant this time. He knew. Jolene. That's why the place was a wreck. She probably tore it apart looking for the chart, though he really couldn't blame her. Pretty much anyone on the Great Sea would do the same for such a chart. Getting out of the Great Sea wasn't an easy task, and once you were out, getting back in was a fool's dream. But someone had done it. They must have if such a chart existed!

Dropping the wet towels, Kid began to help Linebeck scour every inch of his ship for the missing treasure, but their search was fruitless.

The sea captain cursed colorfully, kicking away some weathered treasure charts as if it were their fault that they weren't what he was looking for. "It's officially gone."

"Not officially," Kid disagreed. "If Jolene has it, then we can get it back."

"Not if she's already out of the Great Sea we can't," Linebeck countered, but Kid was already running up the stairs. They needed to tell Tetra. She needed to know about this. That chart was their only chance of finding a new Hyrule, and if they didn't get it, they might never fulfill King's wish. And they  _had_  to fulfill it. They'd promised.

Kid emerged outside to find Link gone. This new mystery piqued his interest for a total of two seconds, for it was solved as soon as he noticed the gangplank that was attached to Linebeck's ship. He didn't care when the pirates had done it, just that they had done it, and he wasted no time in bolting up the board as fast as possible. When he stepped onto the railing of the pirate ship it immediately cracked under his weight, too weak from the recent monster attack to stand any more pressure.

He fell and half-rolled, half-stumbled back onto his feet, resuming his hurried pace before his brain could register the pain that resulted from the unexpected tumble. It was just as well. He didn't have time for that right now. He needed to get to Tetra.

Fortunately, the pirate girl wasn't hard to find, as everyone was grouped together and she chose to linger on the outskirts of the gathering where she could oversee the proceedings. She also just so happened to be the only one that noticed him as everyone else was preoccupied with talk of Fi. If Kid hadn't been so invested in his cause, he would have given this discovery pause, but as it was, he just shrugged it off and went to give Tetra the news only to find that he was so winded that he needed a moment to catch his breath.

Tetra regarded him warily. "What-"

"Jolene stole a sea chart from Linebeck, and we have to get it back!" Kid blurted out before Tetra had a chance to finish her exclamation of surprise. His best friend's startled expression swiftly transformed into a scowl.

"I don't care. That's his problem." She made to rejoin the others, but Kid grabbed her arm and forced her to look at him.

"It's a sea chart of what's beyond the Great Sea." His words were like magic, for all the chatter around him ceased immediately and not even the prospect of a spiritual being could divert their attention.

"There is no such thing," Tetra declared, but she didn't pull away.

"There is." Kid glanced over his shoulder to see Linebeck striding across the deck towards them. "Remember that surprise I told you about earlier? That was it."

"Are you sure it's authentic?" Tetra interrogated the sea captain, shaking off Kid in her newfound skepticism.

"What do you take me for? An amateur? I know fake treasure when I see it, and that chart definitely isn't fake."

This news was all it took to reinstate the chaos on the pirate ship. Everyone was talking at once, causing a warbled, excited buzz to fill the night air. It didn't last long though, for Tetra quickly reigned in her crew, ordering them to be quiet and silencing any of them that ignored her order with a withering glare.

She then turned back to Linebeck. "Where's Jolene?"

"Heck of I know," Linebeck replied.

Tetra's frown deepened, and she cast her eyes to the floor as if the answer were etched there. Kid directed his gaze to the wet floorboards as well, but found no solution.

"Miss, if I may, I think I have an idea," Mako spoke up, drawing all eyes to the bespectacled pirate.

"Go ahead," Tetra consented.

"Well, I have no concrete evidence that she is there, but it's likely considering her history with the place. Plus, it's relatively close so even if she isn't there, we're not wasting much time."

"Out with it," Tetra barked, impatient now.

"The old pirate base. The Forsaken Fortress," Mako stated.

Personally, Kid loathed the idea of revisiting that forsaken place. The memories he had of it weren't cherished ones, and he'd gladly never revisit the fortress. ...But it  _was_ deserted now, so it was probably safe.

Kid looked to Tetra for her assessment of the proposition. Her head was bowed in thought, a fist raised to her mouth as if she was forcing herself to think before she spoke for once.

Suddenly the young pirate captain straightened, the decision apparently made. "Alright. Gonzo set a course for the Forsaken Fortress. We'll look there first."

Gonzo saluted. "Aye, Miss Tetra."

"Wait just a moment," Princess Zelda interjected before anyone could disperse, earning a dagger-filled glare from Tetra. The princess blatantly ignored the look. "There is still a demon on the loose. We do not have the time to be embarking on side quests based on a whim."

"Yes, we do!" Tetra shot back, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "Ghirahim hasn't even been doing anything. We have plenty of time."

"Really? Then how do you explain the monster that just attacked us?"

"Oh,  _please_." Tetra rolled her eyes. "A sea monster doesn't mean anything. They're common enough here."

"Not that type of sea monster," Princess Zelda pointed out.

Tetra gritted her teeth. "No, not that type of sea monster, but it was a one-time thing."

"How can you be so sure? How do you know that Ghirahim didn't release more monsters?"

"I just know!" Tetra yelled, though Kid could tell that she didn't. Zelda had a point. Where there was one monster, there was bound to be more. What villain would only release one monster? It wasn't practical. Once it was dead, it was dead, but with a horde of monsters, there was a better chance of them doing some real damage.

Despite knowing that, Kid still couldn't agree with the princess. They needed to find land. He needed to fix this. It was his fault anyway.

"You have no proof that Ghirahim even released that monster!" Tetra added, folding her arms over her chest in finality.

"Don't I? How about the fact that none of you knew what it was and Fi did?" Unlike Tetra, Zelda did not raise her voice, and yet it was intimidating all the same.

"…Whatever! Look, I don't have to explain myself to you. This is my world, not yours. You have no jurisdiction here.  _I_ do. And I say that we're going after that chart, and we're going to follow it to see where it takes us. That demon freak can wait," Tetra declared, turning to stalk off. Zelda, however, wasn't going to let her go that easily.

"We're supposed to be working as a team. Throwing tantrums like this just to make a point isn't acceptable. I am fully aware that this isn't my world. However, that does not mean I do not care what becomes of it."

That was it. Kid could hold his tongue no longer. Maybe it was his exhaustion. Maybe it was the new hope that put fire in his heart. Maybe it was the knowledge that Tetra would just prolong the argument if she was allowed to retort. Whatever it was, it bade him to speak up, so he did. "No matter what Ghirahim does or doesn't do, everyone on the Great Sea is going to die. Our main food source was knocked out a year ago, and we've been scraping by ever since, but it's not going to hold out much longer. We need to find some kind of land, but we can't do that if we're trapped here. That's why we need that chart."

"Trapped here?" Princess Zelda wondered. "Whatever do you mean?"

"The borders of the Great Sea are even more dangerous than the Great Sea itself," Senza said, sparing Kid from having to elaborate for which he was grateful. His throat still hurt from all the coughing he did earlier. "Even though it might not look like it at first glance, the borders are a kind of hot spot for powerful storms. But that's only the first barrier. Once you get past that, it's rumored that there are sea monsters everywhere. Of course, we don't know that for sure because no one that's left the Great Sea has ever come back, but based on that knowledge, I'd say it's safe to assume that those that leave perish."

"Or maybe they find something so wonderful that they never want to leave," Niko suggested, prompting the rest of the pirates, with the exception of their captain, to burst out in raucous laughter.

Niko pouted. "Oi! That wasn't a joke."

Tetra rolled her eyes at her crew's antics. "Look, the point is that we don't know what happens to people that leave, alright? All we know is that no one that  _has_  left has ever come back."

"How about outsiders coming to the Great Sea?" Link asked. "Does that ever happen?"

"There is only one man I can think of," Mako replied when Tetra hesitated. "A shop keeper on Windfall named Zunari. He claims to have come from some frozen land beyond the Great Sea, but in doing so he was ship wrecked. Apparently he had to travel through 'cursed seas' as he called them."

"The border?" Zelda guessed.

"Most likely."

"Lucky soul, that one," Nudge commented.

"Shame we can't all be lucky souls, eh?" Senza said, shaking his head.

"We don't need luck if we can get our hands on that chart," Tetra declared, locking eyes with the princess and daring her to defy her now that she knew their predicament.

Princess Zelda released a small sigh. "I understand, but Ghirahim is still a threat. Therefore, I propose a compromise. We will get the chart, but you cannot follow it until we have dealt with Ghirahim."

"No deal," Tetra snapped.

"We cannot ignore a powerful demon," Zelda argued. Kid could tell her patience was being stretched thin.

"We can if we don't know where he is!" Tetra shot back.

"We can't especially if we don't know where he is," Zelda countered. "He has enough power to unleash a horde of monsters on the Great Sea at any time. They can take out everyone far quicker than starvation."

Kid couldn't deny the truth of that statement. Apparently, neither could Tetra, for she remained silent, a scowl dominating her features.

Zelda took her counterpart's silence as an invitation to continue. "If that happens, it won't matter whether you are successful with the chart or not. You may save yourself, but not your people."

Even though she wasn't speaking to him, the princess's words cut Kid deeply. His family. His grandmother. His sister. Medli. Makar. Everyone else he'd met and befriended on his journey. And even those he hadn't exactly befriended. If they followed the chart, he would be just like the Hero of Time, abandoning everyone when they needed him most. Only this time, there would be no salvation for anyone. There would be nowhere to go. Everyone would die. It would be his fault, and there'd be no fixing it.

"Tetra, she's right. We can't follow it while Ghirahim is out there somewhere," Kid spoke up, his voice distant as he was still lingering on the horrible thought of everyone he knew dying while he was safe.

His best friend froze, disbelief falling over her face, then betrayal. She turned to face him fully, and he was instantly paralyzed by the ferocity in her eyes.

"Since when are you on her side?!" Tetra screamed. Kid flinched despite himself. Then a sudden urge to yell at her came over him. Of course she'd be fine with this.  _She_  wouldn't lose anyone important to her. He was about to say as much, but Link spoke up just then.

"We're all supposed to be on the same side here."

Tetra redirected her attention to Link. "Oh yeah? Then explain to me why we aren't."

"Because you're stubborn and selfish."

"Selfish?! I'm selfish?" Tetra laughed but there was no humor in it. "I'm trying to make sure the people of the Great Sea don't die of starvation. Excuse me if that's selfish!"

Link sighed. "Listen, I fully the understand the situation-"

"No, you don't!"

Link met her glare with one of his own. "I went to Windfall with Kid. I saw it firsthand. Believe me, I know how bad it is. But like Zelda's saying, if we follow it as soon as we get it, then Ghirahim could kill everyone here without us knowing, and then it won't even matter if we find something that could help beyond the Great Sea."

"But-!"

"Miss," Nudge interjected. "Let's get the chart, and then decide what to do with it."

Tetra did not whirl around and shoot Nudge one of her famous glares for speaking out of turn like Kid expected. Instead her gaze went from Link, to Zelda, to him where it lingered, searching for support that he couldn't give her. He tried to communicate a silent apology to her through his eyes but it must not have gotten through, for she turned away in disgust. "Fine. Whatever! You people…" With that, she stormed off before anyone could stop her, disappearing below decks in record time.

"Nice going, Nudge," Mako commended his fellow pirate sarcastically.

"If I didn't say something she was just going to keep screaming about it all night," Nudge pointed out. Kid knew it was true. Tetra tended to be incredibly stubborn. If things weren't going her way, she pushed and pushed until they did. He could recall quite a few times when she argued with him about trivial things for hours on end. It was sometimes very difficult to be her friend.

"So … uh, are we going after that chart or what?" Linebeck wondered. He'd been silent up until now, and Kid wished that he had been too. The last thing he wanted to do was fight with Tetra. He didn't need her stabbing anymore guilt into him.

"Oi! Mako, go ask Miss Tetra if she wants us to depart now or wait until morning" Gonzo ordered.

"Niko, go ask the Miss what she wants us to do," Mako said, passing the bomb right along without missing a beat.

Niko shook his head vehemently. "No way! She'll kill me!"

"I'll go," Zelda volunteered. Kid felt that would only make it worse.

Nudge must have felt the same way, for he stopped her. "Leave her be for now."

"We might as well leave in the morning, yeah?" Gonzo determined after a few more seconds passed in indecision. "I'd rather not run into any more sea monsters tonight."

"That one ran into us," Mako remarked.

"Clam it, Mako. Why you gotta be so smart all the time?" Gonzo grumbled.

As the pirates continued to banter amongst themselves and Linebeck slinked back to his own ship, Kid found himself growing more and more fatigued. He knew that his legs would soon fail to support him, so he began to shuffle towards the door while he still could.

Link fell into step beside him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just tired."

His counterpart nodded in understanding, and they walked the rest of the way to the sleeping quarters in silence.

After what felt like forever, Kid found himself in the crew's quarters standing before the bed he'd chosen to be his own when he'd first come aboard the pirate ship to travel with Tetra and her crew. Actually, it was a step down from the one he'd chosen. Kid had originally slept on the top bunk, taking an example from the smaller pirates.

But after he'd made a habit of falling off during the night and awakening the other pirates, it was decided that, for the sake of his well-being and everyone else's beauty sleep, he would move to the bottom bunk. He still ended up on the floor sometimes, but at least it was quiet and didn't hurt as much.

As a matter of fact, it always puzzled him as to why they even had bunk beds in the first place, and why they had so many. There were six in total, three on each "floor" of the sleeping quarters. Really, there was only one floor and a ladder led up to what they called the loft. This was where Kid had opted to be. Even though the first floor only had two pirates sleeping there and the loft had four, Kid decided that having windows was worth it. It felt more like home that way.

Of course, this bed wasn't nearly as comfortable as his bed at home, but he'd grown accustomed to its firmness by now and anyway, he could care less about uncomfortable beds, especially now. In fact, Kid would have been content to just fall asleep this instant, but of course that wasn't possible. Not when he was soaked to the skin.

Painfully, Kid knelt down to open the compartment under the bed that housed his scant belongings. It was a pretty nifty thing, which led Kid to believe that the bunk beds were custom made. Seeing as they were firmly attached to the floor, they probably were, which begged the question, was the whole ship custom made? It wouldn't surprise him if it were considering Tetra's heritage.

Kid shook the thoughts out of his head irritably. He was getting distracted. Undoing the latch, Kid lifted up the plank of hinged wood, using his right arm to keep it in place while he used his left to reach inside.

He was more than a bit perturbed to find that all the abuse the ship had gone through during the battle had thoroughly tossed his belongings around. Now he didn't know where anything was. His hand brushed the cool metal of his sister's telescope and a pang of sadness struck him as he recalled their goodbyes.

Kid hadn't wanted to keep the telescope, but his little sister hadn't given him much of a choice. She'd insisted that he keep it on the premise that if he had it, he had to bring it back to her or else she'd mad at him forever. Kid couldn't very well let that happen, so he'd accepted the painted spyglass and promised to bring it back to his sister. He could still see her beaming face in his mind…

A sudden pain in his arm shattered the memory. He grit his teeth, wishing for all feeling to melt away like it had before, but there was no adrenaline to grant his wish for him. He'd just have to get this done quickly. Unfortunately, his misplaced items had no intention of making this quick. No matter how much he pushed aside other objects, he still came up empty.

Somewhat against his better judgment, Kid laid down on his stomach. He knew it was bruised from being held so tightly by the monster earlier, but there was simply no way he was going to get what he wanted by crouching. Kid reached as far as he could and his fingertips graced the thin fabric of his spare clothes. Now if only he could grab them. Stretching his arm even farther, Kid was rewarded only with a spark of agony that made him bite the inside of his cheek to keep from crying out.

He retracted his arm and briefly contemplated calling Link to help him. His counterpart had longer arms than he did. But he dismissed the notion almost as soon as it formed. It was stupid of him. Just how helpless was he that he couldn't even reach a few articles of clothing?

With new resolve, Kid inched as close as he could to the bed. If the indentation in the floor was any bigger, or he any smaller, he probably would have fallen inside, but as it was he just ended up half in and half out. He prayed that he wouldn't get stuck as he reached for the clothes in the very back. This time, he was successful and managed to pull out his blue crawfish shirt and orange pants. He was about to delve for his sandals as well, but then decided that it wasn't worth it. His arm ached from his most recent mission, and his midsection begged him for mercy. Besides, he was going to sleep soon. He didn't need shoes.

Setting his prizes aside, Kid closed the compartment and took a deep breath, the air rattling in his chest. His left arm throbbed with a sharp pain, signaling that he shouldn't have pushed it the way he did. He waited a few seconds, trusting time to take the pain away, but it refused to abate.

So, trying to delay the inevitable as much as he could, Kid slowly removed his hat; then his boots; then his belt; then, very carefully, his sword and shield. His tunic and undershirt had to come next. Otherwise he'd just get his dry pants wet and that'd defeat the purpose of changing.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Kid began to take off his tunic. However, it turned out to be much harder than he'd anticipated as his injuries protested every little movement of his upper body. When he lifted his left arm above his head, he couldn't help but let out a wounded yelp.

"Kid?" Link's voice drifted up to him from below. "You okay up there?"

"I'm fine," he replied, his voice coming out strained despite his best efforts.

"Are you sure?"

He was about to respond, but he was in the process of lowering his arm at that exact moment, and a new wave of pain struck, making his breath hitch. Breathing wasn't easy after that, much less talking.

Suddenly Kid regretted not taking the potion Link had offered him earlier. He regretted it with every fiber of his being. Even though he'd felt sick, that was no excuse. He'd been in pain then too, though he admitted it had been dulled by the adrenaline rush at the time, and he'd probably only made whatever injuries he had worse by declining the medicine.

"I'm coming up, okay?" Link informed him.

That was when Kid became aware of the liquid running down his arm. He glanced at it, expecting to see nothing but excess sea water animated by his movement. Instead he was greeted with blood. A lot of it. He didn't know whether it was the sudden blood loss or his exhaustion, but the sight made his head spin. His legs folded, forcing him to the floor.

He heard Link coming up the ladder to the loft. It was strange how acute the sound was. The creaks and groans of the ship as it bobbed in the not-so-calm waves. The tap tap tap of rain on the windowpanes. The-

"Goddesses! What did you do?!" Link's exclamation of shock snapped Kid back to his senses. He looked up just in time to see Link hurrying towards him, fumbling with the pouch on his hip. He noted that his counterpart didn't wear is tunic or hat. Only his undershirt and pants.

"I don't … I-" Kid couldn't speak. He was just as baffled as Link. How had he started bleeding? From what wound? What did he do?!

"Never mind. It's okay. Just drink this," Link ordered, kneeling in front of him and practically shoving an uncorked bottle of blue potion in his face.

This time, Kid didn't argue. He grabbed the bottle but Link didn't fully let go either. Kid didn't understand why at first. Then he noticed that he was shaking. When did he start that? Link raised the bottle a little, urging him to ingest its contents, and he determined that it didn't matter. Hastily, Kid brought the bottle to his lips and downed the foul liquid as quickly as he could. It slid down his raw throat, burning it and eliciting a cough from him. Its bitter, musty taste remained in his mouth, but he didn't care. He just wanted the pain gone.

Link took back the empty bottle, and the two of them waited impatiently for the healing properties of the potion to take effect.

The pain in his chest faded first, then the inferno in his throat, followed by the other minor aches throughout his body. His arm was next. Or … it should have been, so he waited. And waited. And waited. And nothing happened.

Had he just imagined drinking the potion? Imagined the too familiar taste of the medicine? Imagined the dissipating pain because he wished so much for it? Kid's eyes flew to the bottle in his counterpart's hand. It was empty.

His other pains didn't return and the medicine's aftertaste lingered in his mouth as further proof. He had drank the potion.

"The blue one is the stronger potion here too, right?" Link checked, puzzled by the results just as much as Kid was.

Kid nodded, his right hand hovering over his injured arm. It was, so why hadn't it healed him fully? Why had it ignored his worst injury?

"There isn't a stronger one? I thought I saw a green one before. What does that do?" Link questioned him.

"It restores magic," Kid replied, shaking his head slightly.

The silence that followed worried Kid immensely. If Link wasn't saying anything then did that mean he was at a loss for what to do? Kid hoped not because  _he_  certainly didn't know what to do. Potions had never failed him before. And now that one had…well, why? Why had it? What was wrong with him?

"Alright," Link said finally, startling him out of his fretful thoughts. "Will you be okay if I leave you for a minute?"

He didn't have a choice. "Yeah."

"I'll be quick," Link promised, rising and hastening to the ladder. "Oh! And don't fall asleep while I'm gone!" Link added.

Kid nodded. That was easy. The pain chased sleep far away until it seemed like a distant dream. He'd pass out sooner than he could fall asleep.

Kid didn't know how long it was that he waited. At first, he'd tried counting the seconds to distract himself, but as time marched on his injury only became harder and harder to ignore. Needless to say, when Link returned with Zelda on his heels, Kid was relieved.

It was short lived though.

"I need to see the wound. You have to take your shirt and tunic off," the princess announced, kneeling down beside him. Link did likewise on his right side.

"I can't," Kid said.

"I'll help you," Link offered. Kid failed to see how that would work but found himself accepting anyway. Zelda couldn't help him if she couldn't see what was wrong, and he wasn't sure how much more pain his tired mind could endure tonight.

With Link's aid, removing his tunic and undershirt turned out to be relatively easy, and he didn't have to lift his injured arm once. Nonetheless, the pain didn't subside in the slightest. But at least it didn't get any worse. In fact, Kid didn't think it  _could_ get much worse at this point. Then the princess touched his wound with a cloth, and he was proven wrong. Very wrong.

Without a care for the consequences, Kid yanked his arm out of the princess's grasp and cradled it gingerly to his chest. He was about to jump to his feet, but he didn't get that far. He couldn't. Agony blurred his vision, or maybe that was just tears.

"I'm sorry, but I must stop the bleeding," Princess Zelda said. "I cannot do that if you will not allow me to touch it."

Kid didn't move from his position. In truth, it hurt too much.

"Kid, here." Link held out his hand to him and Kid regarded it, puzzled. "When it hurts, squeeze my hand."

He began to reach for Link's hand, but before he could grasp it Link halted him and unclasped the power bracelet from around his wrist.

"I'd rather not have my hand broken," Link explained with a small smile as he set the bracelet aside. Kid managed a grim smile of his own before taking his counterpart's hand and squeezing.

"She isn't touching you yet," Link said, furrowing his brow in confusion.

Kid grimaced. "I know."

"Zelda, please be as gentle as you can," Link requested.

"I'll try," the princess stated before taking Kid's arm again.

Kid didn't think she tried. At all. He tightened his grip on Link's hand as the princess applied more pressure to the wound and instilled even more pain. He desperately wanted to pull away but common sense warned him against it. Nothing good would come of such an action.

Unfortunately, nothing good was coming of staying still either. He wasn't trying to watch, but he couldn't help seeing out of his peripherals, and it appeared that Princess Zelda was having trouble getting the bleeding to stop. Did she even know what she was doing?

He decided that it was worth it to ask. Not only because it was important but also because he needed some other kind of distraction from the pain. Transferring his pain to Link wasn't working out too well.

"Are you trained in this?" Kid asked. It came out more of a gasp than a question due to the agony he was in.

"Yes, I am," Zelda responded.

"Why?"

"Because I thought it important to be able to care for my people as well as protect them." Her answer surprised him. Maybe it was because Link always joked that she was some kind of "Ice Queen" and that influenced his view of her. Or maybe it was just the fact that, in his experience, she had always been sort of distant from the rest of them.

"Now I have a question for you," Zelda announced. "How did this happen? Did you cut yourself on something?"

"No," Kid replied. "I just … I raised my arm above my head and it hurt and then … this happened."

Princess Zelda worked in silence for a few moments, and Kid couldn't help but fidget a little as another shock of pain coursed through him. Finally she said, "This doesn't make any sense."

"Why not?" Link asked. Kid was glad that the elder boy had posed the question because he wasn't sure that he could talk through the pain anymore.

"This is the same exact wound that got infected," Zelda answered.

"So it reopened," Link concluded, voicing Kid's exact thoughts. What was so strange about a wound reopening? It happened.

"Except it couldn't have," the princess countered. "The last time I checked it, it had closed completely thanks to the water from the spirit spring. There's no way it could have reopened because it was healed. Tell me, Kid. Did it hurt before tonight?"

He nodded slowly.

"It hurt when we were training?" Link inquired, disbelief creeping into his voice.

"Some," he admitted.

"Why didn't you say anything?" his counterpart demanded.

Kid furrowed his brow, not liking Link's tone. "I thought it was still healing." He sucked in a breath when another spasm of pain rocketed through him. "I didn't know that it…" He couldn't continue so he just shook his head helplessly.

"Alright, that makes a bit more sense," the princess admitted, "though not much. How long has it been bothering you?"

He bit his lip, thinking. It was hard to think when one's arm was on fire though. "Since … days ago?" He knew that wasn't the specifics the princess wanted but he couldn't do much better at the moment.

Link was shaking his head, probably in disapproval of his secrecy, but Kid couldn't bring himself to care. Who said he had to tell Link everything? And it hadn't even really been a secret. If they'd asked before, he would have answered honestly.

"Days ago would infer that it began to reopen days ago, and the strain you put on your arm since then has hurried that process along…" Zelda said, more to herself than either of them. "But why? The spring water has never failed before. It's strong magic."

"So was the fairy and that didn't work," Link pointed out.

"And from what you told me on the way here, blue potion had no effect at all," she added.

"What  _will_  work?" Kid gasped out. He couldn't take this much longer, and he'd appreciate it if his companions could come up with a solution faster.

"Based on the fact that the wound seems to be rejecting all attempts to speed up the healing process, I would say that we should try natural remedies," Zelda proposed.

"Like what?" he wondered, dreading the answer. Swallowing the potion earlier had been bad enough. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to choke down any other concoctions, especially foreign ones, feeling as bad as he did right now.

It turned out that he needn't have worried. At least, not about  _that_.

"Time," Princess Zelda declared. "Assuming magic is the issue here, then your body should heal itself if we're patient enough. Until then, I'll bandage your arm, and you'll just have to be careful with it for the next few weeks."

Kid resisted the urge to groan. It wouldn't have mattered so much if it had been his right arm, but since it was his left, such a request seemed impossible. How was he supposed to refrain from using his dominant arm for  _weeks_? Surely, there was another way.

"But … training," he protested.

"Can wait," Princess Zelda said sternly.

He opened his mouth to argue, but Link spoke up before he could. "She's right. There's no sense in training while you're hurt. You'll only hurt yourself more and you can't learn anything that way."

Kid begged to differ. Getting hurt while fighting had taught him how to improve his techniques. At first, he was sloppy with a sword, afraid of the live steel in his hands. But reality wasted no time punching that timidity out of him. Every wound was a lesson, and this particular one was just a reminder of how much he needed the training. Ghirahim would never have been able to cut him if he'd been swifter and more practiced in the art of swordplay.

He was fully prepared to argue the point, but the pain that radiated through him with every breath he took stopped him.

Time seemed to crawl by then, and his weariness and the blood loss ensured that he was only half attentive to it all. Half attentive to the century it took for Zelda to get the bleeding to stop, bandage his arm, and leave. Half attentive to Link helping him change into drier clothes. Half attentive to Link insisting that he let Fi do one of her evaluations on him to see if she could find anything abnormal. And less than half attentive to Fi's report, though all he really had to do was watch Link's reaction to know that she hadn't found anything wrong with him besides the obvious.

Now, as he lay in bed, he discovered another downside to this "solution." Pain pervaded his every thought. He couldn't move without pain. He couldn't lay still without pain. He couldn't do  _anything_ without fresh, invisible flames engulfing his left arm and sending agony throughout his entire body. There was no comfortable position. Only painful and slightly less painful.

At this point, he was just praying for sleep, or unconsciousness, whichever came first. Unfortunately, the gods were not taking requests at the moment, so he continued to shift around in some vain hope that he'd be able to discover the least painful position.

"Kid?" Link's voice floated down to him from the bunk above him.

"What?"

"Can you not sleep?"

"You try sleeping with this kind of injury." He hadn't intended for such a snarky answer to fall out of his mouth.

Link didn't reply, and as the silence stretched on Kid began to worry that he'd made Link mad with his response. Just as he opened his mouth to apologize, his counterpart spoke.

"Sorry."

"Sorry?" Kid repeated as if it were a foreign word. It certainly made no sense to him at the moment. What was Link apologizing for?

"Sorry for what?" he asked when Link failed to elucidate.

"Sorry for you being hurt."

"That's not your fault," Kid said. If anything, it was his. He was the one that hadn't moved in time. If that monster hadn't grabbed him and tried to squeeze the daylights out of him, he'd probably be just fine right now. "Sea monsters are jerks."

"I'm not just talking about the sea monster."

"Then … what are you talking about?"

Link sighed heavily in exasperation, but Kid didn't think it was directed at him. "I'm talking about when you first got that wound. Something told me to call you back but … I didn't. I shouldn't have let you two run ahead…"

'Le _t us?_ ' he thought. Did Link really think so little of them? Of him? That they had to be "let" to do things?

Suddenly he didn't want to talk anymore. It was all too much. Between his fatigue and the pain that pulsed in his arm with every beat of his heart, he couldn't bear to listen to another judgmental word.

He already  _knew_  he'd messed up. He didn't need Link telling him that. And he especially didn't need Link telling him that he was weak. He knew that too. He'd known it way before they had battled each other this morning. It was exactly why he hadn't wanted to fight his counterpart. Unlike Tetra, he knew that Link had been training with a sword ever since he was Aryll's age, and he also knew that Link had been trained by the Hero of Time. He couldn't compete with that. There was just no way.

The Hero of Twilight didn't get the message that the Hero of Winds no longer wanted to talk, for he kept trying to get him to respond in some way. Small words. Meaningless words. Words of concern. But Kid blocked them all out. It was pretty easy to do when you were in a great deal of pain, he found.

Eventually, Link caught on that he was being ignored. That, or he must have assumed that Kid had fallen asleep. Either way, Kid was just happy that his counterpart wasn't running his mouth anymore.

Despite the silence, Kid still found himself unable to sleep. He was about to change positions but then thought better of it. Link was still awake, and if he started tossing and turning again his counterpart might just interpret it as an invitation to speak up.

Kid closed his eyes and feigned sleep, deciding that when he heard his counterpart's breathing slow and even out above him he could change positions then.

However, his pretend slumber turned into real slumber, and he never had a chance to follow through with his plan.

Sleep, it turned out, was no haven either, for the land of dreams was filled with nightmares. Every which way he turned another nightmare blocked his path, trapping him, crushing him, mocking him, showing him just how worthless he was. He couldn't save himself from drowning. Everyone hated him because they knew the Great Sea's current predicament was his fault. Everyone was dead because he failed to protect them. He wasn't a hero. He was a boy. And he was alone.

But he wasn't really alone. He had the King of Hyrule. His guide. His partner. His friend. And right now the world was flooding, and Kid was rising with it, encased in a protective bubble. Except, he couldn't leave. Not without King, who was standing below him, arm outstretched, reaching for him. Kid extended his own arm as much as possible, resisting the pull of magic and trying to catch King's hand in his own. He wouldn't let King die. He couldn't! Yet, he did. All because his arms weren't long enough, and he wasn't strong enough to resist the pull of the magical bubble forever.

Kid was whisked away from the dead man, to the surface, and into a new battle that spanned across a massive, grassy field. Before him was a demon lord, effectively blocking his path to the Triforce. It was a race, a fight, a disaster, and he was still too slow. Ghirahim's ebony sword bit into his upper arm and his vision blurred as agonizing pain tore through him. But even with impaired vision, it didn't prevent Kid from seeing Ghirahim's next move. The demon's snake-like tongue darted out to lick the blood off the sword.  _His_  blood.

After that Kid was wide awake, fresh pain nearly making him scream. For a petrifying moment, he thought that the dream had somehow made the wound worse, like it wasn't entirely a dream. Then he noticed that he was laying on his left side, and it made more sense.

But even with a rational explanation and a change of position, he didn't feel any better. In fact, the only time he felt somewhat better was when he awoke from yet another twisted dream to see sunlight creeping through the windows.

Kid was the last one up once again which was strange. Not because he was an early riser, he could sleep all day if allowed, but because no one had taken it upon themselves to wake him up. Usually one of the pirates did it to ensure that he didn't get in trouble with Tetra, and if that failed, well, Tetra would come seek him out herself. And her wake up calls were impossible to sleep through.

Yet he was the only one left in the sleeping quarters and there had been no rude wake up call. Maybe Tetra was still mad at him for not agreeing with her last night. But how would not waking him up be getting back at him? Unless…

He gasped and leapt out of bed, quickly dropping to the floor and opening the compartment under the bed. After some rummaging around he found his sandals and let the hatch bang shut. He hastily slipped the shoes on while reaching for the weapons that rested against the wall. It wasn't as easy to slip on his sword and shield but he managed it and was soon racing out of the crew's quarters and through the ship.

When he finally burst out onto the deck of the pirate ship, disheveled and slightly out of breath, Kid was relieved to find that they were still sailing. Tetra hadn't left him behind after all.

Of course, he had no solid proof aside from the grudges she liked to hold that she was even trying to make him stay on the ship as punishment. Still, even if she did try, it didn't matter. He was awake now, and he would definitely put up a fight if she tried to make him stay.

Satisfied, Kid wandered to the dilapidated railing. It seemed that the pirates hadn't gotten around to fixing it just yet but that was fine. He wasn't stupid enough to lean on it.

Kid craned his neck in an attempt to see what was up ahead. The first thing he saw was not the Forsaken Fortress, but a ship. Linebeck's ship to be exact. It wasn't ahead of them by much, but Kid felt that was on purpose. He knew that the steamship could go faster than it was going. Even so, the pirate ship wasn't too far behind and the wind was strong today, and thank the goddesses above, blowing due north. They'd reach the Forsaken Fortress soon. In fact, when he looked past Linebeck's vessel, he could already make out vague details on the fortress, but he didn't let his gaze linger on it for long. He hated that place.

It had been the lair of an evil man. The prison of his dear little sister. And not to mention the ruin of his pride, though that was mostly Tetra's fault, launching him into a wall like she did. But her actions had little to do with the fact that he had failed there many a time. He'd failed to save his sister once, and when he did manage to save her, he'd fallen to Ganondorf because he'd been stupid. And reckless. And wea-

"Kid." Link's voice caused his thoughts to disperse, and Kid turned to look at his counterpart. Link smiled. "Hey. Did you sleep alright?"

"Mmm." He hummed, returning his attention to the never-ending sea. Kid couldn't bring himself to give a real answer. Saying yes was a lie and saying no would only give his counterpart reason to pry, and he didn't want Link prying. He could deal with the nightmares on his own. They weren't anything new.

"Oookay," Link said, obviously confused by his aloof behavior. "How's your arm?"

Kid raised his good shoulder in a half shrug. Truthfully, he'd forgotten all about his injury until Link mentioned it. Now it stung as if salt water had slipped into it, though that wasn't worth mentioning. It wasn't like anyone could do anything about it. He just had to endure it.

"You should probably let Zelda look at it again later," Link advised him.

He nodded, agreeing but wishing that Link would leave him be. It was kind of hard to ignore a person when they were actively making conversation with you. Of course, the whole decision to ignore his counterpart in the first place was probably a tad childish. After all, Link may not even be aware of just how deeply his words hurt Kid last night. In fact, it was likely that he didn't, so was it really fair for him to be ignoring the older boy in the first place? Probably not. Then again, if Link was going to treat him like a child, wasn't it appropriate for him to act like one?

Link sighed and for a split second Kid feared that he'd spoken his thoughts aloud and his counterpart was sighing at his hopelessness. But no. He was just exasperated with the lack of answers he was receiving and decided to say something that would force Kid to respond with words. At least, that's how Kid interpreted it, because the next thing the Hero of Twilight said was, "When we get to the fortress, I think you should stay on the ship."

"No way," Kid said to the ocean. If he wasn't looking at Link, it wasn't acknowledging him completely.

"We don't even know what we're going to find there, Kid. It could be nothing. Or it could be a fight, and you can't swing a sword right now."

"I can if I have to," Kid shot back. He'd pushed through pain before. This wouldn't be any different.

"But you'd hurt yourself even more," his counterpart reasoned. "There's no point in doing that. Stay here."

' _Stay here? And be weak? Yeah right,'_  he thought bitterly, his hands curling into fists at his sides. He turned to face Link and stared straight into the elder boy's eyes as he said, "You can't tell me what to do. You're not the boss of me."

His defiance caught Link off guard, and as his counterpart fumbled for a response, Kid turned to walk away. He wasn't able to take more than a step before he bumped into Tetra. She was regarding him with an air of superiority surrounding her, and he didn't like it at all.

"He might not be the boss of you, but I am," Tetra declared. "And  _I_  say that you stay here. Evil likes to make the Forsaken Fortress its home, unless you've forgotten."

He hadn't. He never could. But that didn't deter him from arguing in the slightest. Obviously, Tetra thought he was weak too or else she wouldn't be agreeing with Link. "I'm not a real member of your crew, so you can't make me stay."

"You're on my ship, aren't you?" Tetra glowered.

"Yeah, but you never actually made me an official member of your crew." It was true. He'd never been sworn in as a real pirate and that was mostly because he didn't want to be one. It might not have gotten him out of doing chores around the ship, but it did work in his favor here.

Tetra considered this, then smirked. "Doesn't matter. You still have to do what I say.  _I'm_  the princess."

"Oh, yeah? Of what?"

Tetra was so shocked by his words that she momentarily had none to counter with. Then her face contorted with rage and she screamed, "Oh, that's it!" Tetra stepped forward, her hand already in a fist and arm cocked back, ready to punch him. But before she could do anything more, Link intervened.

"Don't, Tetra."

"Why not?! He deserves it! He's being a little brat!" Well, Kid didn't completely disagree with her. He knew he'd crossed a line there, but … she pushed him! What was he supposed to do? Stand there and take her insults all the time?

"And hitting him will fix that how?" Link wanted to know.

"It won't, but it'll make me feel better."

Link began to lecture the pirate girl about her morals, and Kid chose that moment to slip away. He didn't want any parts of this. He was going to follow them whether they wanted him to or not and-

A hand closed like a vise around his right wrist, halting him in his tracks.

"Wait, we're not done," Link said.

' _Oh, yes we are.'_  Kid tried to wrench his arm out of Link's grip but he couldn't. He was too weak. He'd forgotten to put his power bracelets back on.

"Let go," he ordered.

"No." Link tugged on his arm, forcing him to turn around to face him. Kid kept his gaze on the ground. "Look, I know how you feel." ' _No you don't.'_  "I've been injured before and wanted to keep going as usual. It seems like a good idea."  _'It is.' "_ It seems like you can do it despite whatever pain it causes you," ' _I can.'_ "but trust me when I say it isn't worth it. I've been there, and I've made that mistake. And guess what happened? I needed twice as much time to recover after that as I would have if I'd just let myself rest the first time. I'm warning you now, don't do it."

Link's grip on him was like a shackle weighing him down, and he hated it. What Link had told him probably wasn't even true. He was just making up stories to get him to obey him, just like how parents tell their children of evil spirits to scare them away from certain behaviors. Kid wasn't a child, and he wasn't falling for it.

"I'm going, and you can't stop me," he said.

"I don't want to have to stop you, but I will if it comes to that," Link returned.

"And if he doesn't, I will," Tetra added. "I'll have Gonzo tie you up, and you know how crafty his knots are." He did. But he was crafty too. He knew he could find some way out of it if it came down to that.

He tried once more to escape Link's hold. "Kid, I'm serious-"

He glared up at Link. "So am I."

A tense war commenced, contained entirely within their locked eyes. It was a battle between green and blue, and neither one was backing down. Each of them searched the other for a break in their guard. Their determination was matched, but all it took was a sliver of uncertainty to shatter the other person's defenses, and Kid found it first.

Heaving a sigh, Link released him, and Kid let his hand fall to his side.

"You can come on one condition," Link announced.

"What is it?" Kid asked. He'd do just about anything if it would get Link to stop nagging him.

"You carry the Master Sword." It wasn't difficult to figure out Link's reasoning behind this condition. They knew that Fi could keep tabs on their health. If she detected anything abnormal, she had an obligation to make it known. Yet, that wasn't what made him hesitate to accept. It was the fact that it was the Master Sword. He didn't really want to wield it. It brought back far more bad memories than good. Plus, now that he knew there was a spirit inside of it, albeit an emotionless one, he couldn't help but feel a tad guilty about leaving it at the bottom of the ocean stuck in some evil guy's head. Could Fi remember that somehow? But he couldn't imagine staying on the ship to rest. To be weak. Because he wasn't weak. He had to prove that to everyone, and most importantly, to himself. He couldn't do that from the safety of the ship.

"Fine," he conceded. They made the exchange soon after that, and as the sword settled onto his back, it vibrated a little. In reassurance? Analyzation? Whatever it was, Kid desperately hoped that Fi couldn't read his mind as well, or rather, that if she could, she wouldn't be inclined to blurt out his thoughts for all to hear. That would certainly be disastrous.

' _Stay quiet, Fi,'_  he silently prayed.  _'Stay quiet.'_


	15. The Old Pirate Base

No sooner than had her feet struck the deck did she whirl around, take a step back, plant her hands on her hips, and tilt her head up towards her companions.

"Hurry up!" Tetra snapped. She wasn't a naturally patient person to begin with, and the prospect of obtaining a chart out of the Great Sea whisked away any patience she might possess.

"Hold your horses," Link returned, carefully stepping over the damaged rail of her ship. She didn't see why he was being gentle with it. It was already broken.

"We don't have horses here," she countered. "Just ships. Now get on this one!"

Tetra honestly wasn't anticipating switching ships to be such a hassle. If she had known it was going to be like this, she would have risked using her ship, but it was too late now. And, in any case, she knew that using Linebeck's ship for this expedition was a wiser decision. Her ship was in need of repairs thanks to that tentacle monster, and getting it back out of the cramped entrance of the Forsaken Fortress once they were in would be problematic due to its bulk. Linebeck's ship was much smaller and easier to maneuver, she'd admit, since it didn't require the aid of the wind. Yes, it was definitely the most sensible option, but it was by no means the fastest.

They'd had to waste two minutes yelling to get Linebeck's attention in order to tell him to turn around, and  _then_  they'd had to wait for Gonzo to guide the ship to a stop behind the rock they'd used so long ago to hide it from the prying eyes of the fortress. Of course, the fortress was blind now, but it never hurt to be cautious, especially after last night. Now, to top it all off, her companions were being slow.

Sure, Tetra supposed that they had made good time. It was only mid-morning. But they didn't definitively know whether Jolene was here or not, so every second counted. They had to catch her before she left the Great Sea, because once she did, there was no reaching her unless she decided to return of her own accord, and there was no guaranteeing that.

If they lost Jolene, they would lose the first tangible lead they'd had since beginning their search to find a land to call their own. The rest had been rumors and tall-tales told by bored townsfolk and sailors alike. All had been thoroughly investigated and debunked. But this one was different. This one held promise like no other since they had Linebeck's testimony to it, not to mention that it was a physical object, and if it turned out to be genuine … well, Tetra wasn't so sure she'd be able to restrain herself from following it immediately no matter how her companions felt.

After all, if the Great Sea ever needed the help of outsiders, it was now, when they were on the verge of starving to death. If she couldn't prevent that from happening, she had no right to the royal blood flowing through her veins. These were her people, whether they knew it or not, and failing to preserve them would mean losing the very last vestiges of the true Hyrule.

She wasn't ignorant to the threat Ghirahim posed, but she also knew how to prioritize. At the moment, the Great Sea's crisis was doing a whole lot more than Ghirahim. So far, they'd been the only ones to encounter anything strange, and that in itself wasn't strange since they were the Triforce Bearers. If there was anyone Ghirahim wanted to wipe out, it would be them. They were the only threat to his power, after all, and if they were gone, Ghirahim didn't have to worry his fabulous little head about resistance. Sure, there was the question of how he even knew that they were here in the first place, but maybe he had spies.

Suddenly unnerved, Tetra surveyed her surroundings. There was nothing but the fortress, their two ships, and ocean for miles. There was no place for a spy to hide. A seagull squawked overhead, drawing her attention to it. Seagulls as spies? Now that was ridiculous. They were too dumb, and the only person she'd ever seen the birds listen to was Aryll.

Shaking the silly thoughts out of her head, Tetra focused her attention on her companions. While she'd been lost in thought, Link and Kid had joined her on Linebeck's ship, and the princess was just getting ready to jump down. Tetra couldn't help but roll her eyes when she saw Link was standing at the ready to catch Zelda. It wasn't a long fall, just a few feet.

"Miss Tetra?" She redirected her gaze to her crew who were gathered at the damaged railing to see them off.

She was sure that it had been Gonzo that had spoken, so she directed her question at him. "What?"

"Er, well, we were thinking that some of us could come with you, yeah?" Gonzo suggested. "Just because we don't know what's in the old pirate base now."

Personally, Tetra thought it was just a ploy to get off the ship for a while. Nonetheless, she chose to indulge them. She didn't want Kid coming precisely because they didn't know what was there. If it turned out that they had to fight, Kid couldn't. She knew that, no matter what he said. Zelda had explained to her last night about his injury, and she'd agreed, for once, with her counterpart that Kid should rest his arm for a few days so it can heal. It would be beneficial to have a couple more people they could count on for backup if they needed it.

Tetra swept her eyes over her crew for a few seconds before coming to a decision. "Senza. Zuko. Get over here. The rest of you, get to fixing the railings."

Six salutes and a chorus of "Aye, Miss!" followed her orders. Senza and Zuko then hurdled the broken railing and freely fell the few feet to the deck of Linebeck's ship, landing without any trouble. That was another perk of having them tag along; they were quick.

"Weigh anchor," Tetra ordered Linebeck after confirming that everyone was present.

"Givin' me orders on my ship. You're worse than Sparkles," Linebeck grumbled as he pushed off the bridge and disappeared inside. Choosing to ignore the sea captain's comment, Tetra wandered to the bow of the ship and set her sights on the Forsaken Fortress.

The last time she'd been here, she was just a pirate captain on a mission to help an idiot save his sister. It hadn't gone very well for either of them, but they hadn't really known what they were getting themselves into back then. Now it was different. They were stronger and wiser and just a little less stupid. Whatever awaited them at that fortress would not best them this time, she was confident about that much.

Unfortunately, her confidence didn't get them there any faster, so she was left to fidget in anticipation as they drew closer. By the time they were passing through the stone edifice's entrance, Tetra really couldn't contain herself any longer and climbed out to balance precariously on the bowsprit. It didn't reach very far, but it allowed her to see it first. Jolene's ship, moored by the stone steps.

Linebeck guided his ship to a halt beside Jolene's before cutting the engine and strolling out onto the deck.

"Great, the crazy lady's here," Linebeck observed. "Now what?"

"Now," Tetra said, hopping off of the bowsprit and back onto the deck, "we infiltrate her ship and get that chart back."

"That's not against your pirate code?" Link wondered.

"If nothing's locked and there's no one guarding it, we can assume it's abandoned and loot it," Tetra said, shooting him a wicked grin that he didn't return.

"That's nice. Go do that." Linebeck waved a hand in a shooing motion. "I'll wait right here."

"Oh, no you're not," Tetra countered, whirling around to address the sea captain. "We need you."

"For what?"

"You know what the chart looks like, so you can give us confirmation that we have the right chart."

"Uh, yeah, well, someone has to watch my ship, so I can't help you with that," Linebeck replied. "Just … use that pirate sense of yours."

"How about I use one of my pirates?" Tetra suggested. She turned to Zuko. "What do you say about staying here to watch Linebeck's ship for him?"

Zuko saluted. "Aye, Miss."

Tetra looked to Linebeck, crossing her arms over her chest in a challenge she knew he wouldn't be able to overcome. He tried to resist it at first, grappling for an excuse he didn't have, before finally giving up and pointing at Kid. "You're protecting me!" He then jabbed a finger in Link's direction. "You too!"

"Alright," Link agreed with an indifferent shrug.

With that settled, they began the transition to Jolene's ship. It was a bit larger than Linebeck's, so simply jumping over wasn't an option. Instead, they employed a combination of Kid's grappling hook and Link's clawshots to get them all onto the neighboring vessel.

Once aboard, Tetra wasted no time heading for the door that led to the ship's innards. She grasped the golden handle and tried it. Unlocked. Tetra smirked as the door swung open. Jolene was stupider than Tetra gave her credit for.

"This feels so wrong," Link commented from somewhere in the back of the group as they all filed inside, thus urging Linebeck to start carping about how wrong it was for Jolene to hunt him down all the time and wreck his precious ship.

Tetra did her best to tune it all out as she took in her foreign surroundings. Light filtered in through small portholes set into the right-hand and back walls. Just ahead was a curved golden rail protecting a set of wooden stairs that descended farther into the ship. To her left stood a wall and an open doorway.

Tetra marched over to the doorway, putting a hand on the polished doorframe and peering inside. Two large portholes illuminated the area, allowing her to see the metal chest on the right, a control panel directly ahead, and a large steering wheel on the far left. Control room. It had to be.

"Senza, check that chest over there," Tetra ordered as she ventured farther into the room. While Senza complied, she headed for steering wheel, pausing to inspect a framed picture on the wall. It wasn't a picture at all, but a chart. To her dismay, it couldn't possibly be the one she sought, for it was a map of the stars, not the sea.

"No charts," Senza reported, letting the chest bang shut.

"Downstairs then," Tetra said, tearing her eyes away from the map of the constellations. "Come on."

The group of six proceeded down the ladder-like stairs, the headstrong pirate captain in the lead and the more reluctant members of the procession bringing up the rear. It was noticeably dimmer in this new room, but that was to be expected, especially since no one was on the ship besides them. Fortunately, there were a few guarded golden sconces leaping with weak flames here and there, and daylight spilled through miniscule cracks in the paneled wood walls. Together the two meager light sources provided enough luminescence to see by.

However, it turned out that there wasn't much to see in this particular room. Straight ahead was a circular table around which two chairs were situated. Beyond that was nothing but a wall with a narrow opening to either side of it. They had no choice but to go deeper.

"Some of you go look around down that hallway," Tetra commanded, motioning towards the passage on the right while she approached the one on the left. "If you find anything, yell."

Without waiting to see who, if anyone, had followed her orders, Tetra wandered down the cramped passage before her. Almost immediately she came upon a closed door. She reached for the handle, but just as her fingers closed around it, it was wrenched out of her grasp, and she found herself stumbling straight into a tanned woman with bright red hair and almond eyes lined with more makeup than seemed necessary.

They both gasped, recoiling and jumping away from each other, though Tetra was faster and had already swiped her dagger out of its sheath on her hip by the time Jolene's ditzy sister opened her mouth.

"H-How did you get in? Didn't I lock the…?" Joanne paused, her face scrunching into an expression of fierce contemplation as she tried to discern how exactly they'd managed to break in.

Tetra decided to be nice and spare the woman the headache. "Tell us where the chart is, and we won't hurt you."

Joanne eyed her dagger warily. "Uh…"

A shove caught Tetra off guard, and she stumbled to the side, managing to catch herself before she fell. She looked back, daggers in her eyes, to find Kid occupying the place she'd just stood. Tetra opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind but wasn't fast enough in delivering it before Kid began to speak.

"She's joking. We're not going to hurt you at all," Kid reassured the nervous woman. Instantly a smile broke out on Joanne's face.

"Oh! You're the boy that helped me with the old wayfarer!" Joanne exclaimed, causing Tetra to raise an eyebrow. Wayfarer?

Kid nodded shyly in confirmation.

"I didn't know you were a pirate."

"I'm not!" Kid said hurriedly as if being a pirate was a sin. Tetra rolled her eyes. "I just…" He trailed off, searching for words. Finally, he found them. "There's a chart that Jolene stole, and we kind of need it back, so it'd be great if you could tell us where it is."

"What chart are you talking about?" Joanne wondered, tilting her head to the side inquisitively.

"It's a chart out of the Great Sea," Kid explained.

Joanne sighed, leaning on the doorframe as if standing was particularly strenuous. "That chart … well,  _I_ don't have it, but even if I did, I couldn't give it to you no matter what you've done for me. It's my sister's."

Kid was silent as he took this in, and Tetra took the opportunity to speak.

"So where's the chart?" Joanne's gaze shot to her, and Tetra could feel the woman's reluctance to offer information. She slid her dagger back into its sheath, hoping that would help coax the answer out of the girl. It didn't.

"Is it on the ship somewhere?" Kid prompted after a few more seconds of pressing silence.

"No," Joanne said, turning back to him and lowering her voice to a whisper as if she were disclosing exclusive information. "Jolene has it."

"Where exactly is she?" Kid asked, lowering his voice to the same confidential whisper.

Joanne shook her head helplessly. "I'm not entirely sure. I know she's somewhere inside the old pirate base. She left with the others saying something about looking for treasure…"

"How long ago did they leave?" Tetra inquired, feeling no need for hushed tones.

"…Not even ten minutes ago," Joanne replied reluctantly, causing Tetra to frown. If they'd been gone longer then they could have just waited for Jolene to return here. Technically, they could still do that, but there was no telling when Jolene and her crew would return considering that they were looking for treasure. Though, if there was any treasure to find in the Forsaken Fortress, Tetra was sure she would've known about it, meaning that Jolene and her equally idiotic posse were probably wandering around aimlessly for nothing. How long would it be before they gave up and realized that there was no treasure to be found?

"Come on, come on, let's go!" Tetra shouted, shooing those gathered single file in the hallway back the way they'd come. "We're not going to find it here!"

"You're not gonna hurt my sister, are you?" Joanne wondered, worry weighing down her words.

"No, we aren't," Kid assured her, shaking his head vehemently.

"Ah, good. Oh! And … don't tell my sister that you got in here. I was supposed to lock the door an-"

"Yeah, yeah, we won't." Tetra waved a hand dismissively in the frazzled girl's direction as she used the other to push Kid back towards the way they'd come. This earned her a glare from the Hero of Winds, but she didn't care. They had new information, and she planned to use it, which meant getting off of this ship and into the fortress. She couldn't do that with him keeping her trapped in the hallway.

It wasn't long before Tetra felt the sea breeze on her face again and was planting her feet on solid stone. All of her companions followed her lead except for one.

"Come on, Linebeck!" she urged the reluctant sea captain who had his arms crossed indignantly, peering down at them from Jolene's ship.

"Why do I still have to come?" Linebeck practically whined.

"Because of the same reason as before!" she replied impatiently. "If she tries to hand us a fake, you can let us know." There was no way Tetra was taking chances with this. Not when they were this close.

Linebeck glanced longingly at his ship where Zuko was stationed with telescope in hand.

"Don't worry, Linebeck," Kid spoke up, drawing the sea captain's attention to him. "I'll protect you."

Linebeck huffed, but jumped down to join them. "Fine, then. If I die, it's on you, short stuff." Kid frowned at the nickname, but otherwise gave no comment.

With everyone, more or less, ready to go, they started up the stairs, their footsteps echoing eerily in the silence shrouding the fortress. If Tetra hadn't known it was abandoned beforehand, she would have classified it as too quiet and remained cautious. But since she did know of its vacancy, she had no problem bounding up the steps and strolling to the middle of the courtyard.

Coming to a halt, Tetra planted her hands on her hips and surveyed the area for any sign of the faux she-pirate and her crew. To her disappointment, though not to her surprise, she found no such thing. Which only left them with one option.

"Let's split up," Tetra declared as her companions joined her in the courtyard's center. "Senza, Zelda, you're with me. Kid, Link, and Linebeck, you're on your own."

"Wait," Link protested as everyone began to shift around into the teams she had just set. "I don't think splitting up is a good idea. It's never worked well for us before."

Tetra waved off Link's paranoia with a nonchalant flick of her wrist. "It's fine. This place is abandoned. There's nothing dangerous here unless you count rats and Keese."

"But what if there's something else here now?" Link persisted. "Something you don't know about?"

Tetra took a moment to consider this before shaking her head. "If that were true, we'd know already, trust me." This place was a fortress. Anything that didn't want them here would have surely noticed their arrival by now and taken advantage of their current conversation out in the open.

"Regardless, how are we to communicate with one another if we're separated?" Princess Zelda interjected.

In answer, Tetra produced her gossip stone and activated it, causing Kid to jump and pull out an identical stone from his belongings. "I'll keep these active the entire time," Tetra said as she slipped the cord over her head to wear the stone like a necklace, "so whoever finds Jolene first can let the other group know."

She looked into each of her companions' faces, searching for any more objections. Upon finding none, she turned to Kid, who had followed her lead and fastened the gossip stone about his neck. "Go search the second floor. We'll search the bottom."

With that, the two groups dispersed, Kid, Link, and Linebeck making for the many stairs to the right while Tetra, Senza, and Zelda continued straight ahead for the massive wooden doors of the fortress.

Senza pushed one of the heavy doors open, allowing them access. Slipping inside, Tetra swept her eyes over the area. Upon finding nothing of interest, her gaze flicked between the open doorway on the left and the closed door on the right.

"Is this a map of the fortress?" Zelda inquired from where she stood in front of an aged piece of parchment displayed on the wall.

"Yeah, but we don't need it," Tetra replied. She knew this place like the back of her hand, as did Senza. Which was why she knew that there were more rooms and passages to the right than there were to the left. That also meant there were more rooms in which to look for nonexistent treasure.

Her mind made up, Tetra marched towards the closed door, her companions in tow.

The tell-tail flutter of leathery wings beating the air alerted her to the presence of Keese, and she whirled around, drawing her dagger and brandishing it at the four winged nuisances that were attempting to dive bomb her. She swiped the first one out of the air easily, then dodged the second. By the time she ended it, Senza had brought about the demise of the other two, and they were ready to move on.

Her counterpart seemed slightly disturbed by the interruption, and Tetra smirked. "Afraid of Keese?"

"Not at all," Princess Zelda replied curtly as they strolled through the door Senza was holding open for them and into a dimly lit corridor.

"There's no shame in admitting it, you know," Tetra said casually as the door banged shut behind them, and they continued walking. "I know you don't like rats, and Keese are basically rats with wings."

"Yes, thank you for that courteous reminder," the princess responded, opening the enchanted satchel at her hip and drawing her sword from it. Tetra watched but said nothing.

They reached the end of the corridor fairly quickly and entered another room. Two Keese were there to greet them, and Zelda swiftly dispatched of one. Tetra didn't know if her counterpart was trying to prove something, but just in case, she made sure to take care of the other one herself.

They continued on, opening another door and walking down a new corridor that was much like the first. The doorway at the end was door-less, so when they reached it, Tetra didn't bother stepping inside. All it took was a quick peek to verify that Jolene and her crew were not present. The only living things in the room were rats scurrying out of a hole at the bottom of the far wall and up to the rafters. And if it was anything like the other rooms, it had Keese lying in wait as well.

Rather than tempt the simple creatures to attack, Tetra, Zelda, and Senza turned around, backtracking through the corridors and rooms until they returned to the entrance.

Now traversing through the left corridor, Tetra prayed that there was something more than Keese waiting for them at the end. Even split up, this was taking far longer than she would have liked.

When they emerged into the next room, Tetra couldn't help but scowl at the emptiness that greeted her. Then she heard it. Footsteps. She glanced down at the glowing blue stone around her neck, thinking she was hearing the footfalls of her companions, but no. These were too loud. Too close.

She picked up the pace then, going farther into the oddly shaped room and rounding the corner. A victorious smile crept onto her face.

"Found her. Docking space," she reported into the gossip stone before letting it fall, dark and cold, against her chest.

"Hello, Jolene," Tetra greeted the she-pirate, placing her hands on her hips confidently as she stared down the faux pirate and her raggedy crew opposite her.

If Jolene was surprised by their presence, she masked it well. "Well, if it isn't little Miss Tetra." The woman's momentary smirk fell into a glower. "You're not here to take the treasure are you?"

"Of course not," she scoffed. "How I can take treasure that doesn't exist?"

"Doesn't exist?!" Jolene exclaimed, rage contorting her made up features. "Of course it exists!"

"It probably existed once," Tetra admitted. "But not anymore. This place was overrun by monsters once, then abandoned. Whatever treasure there was has already been uncovered and taken."

"Then… then…" Jolene stammered, her expression one of extreme loss. Suddenly she shook her head as if discarding the notion of treasure for the time being. "If you're not here for treasure, then why are you here?"

"For you, or more specifically, what you have," Tetra asserted, head held high.

"Oh? And what do I have that you could possibly want?" Jolene wanted to know.

"The chart." It was at that moment that hurried footsteps approached, and Tetra glanced over her shoulder to find Kid, Link, and Linebeck coming to join them, thus evening the odds just a bit. She turned back to Jolene, unprepared for the amount of anger radiating from the woman.

For a second, Jolene was silently seething, her hands fists at her sides. Then she seemed to calm a bit and let out a bitter laugh, putting a hand to her head. Tetra put a wary hand on her dagger. Was she going to attack?

"Oh, I _knew_  it," Jolene said more to herself than anyone, shaking her head with a twisted expression on her face. Her narrowed eyes darted up to find Linebeck. "I knew you'd do something like this! You just can't stand to let me win, can you?" Linebeck gave no response, shrinking farther behind Kid, which was ridiculous really, considering how tall he was compared to the Hero of Winds. He'd have better luck hiding behind the Hero of Twilight.

"What are you talking about?" Tetra interjected.

Jolene's crazed gaze turned to her, and she suddenly regretted attracting it. Yet, Tetra held her ground, her fingers closing around her dagger as a form of reassurance. "Poor, little girl. You can't see when you're being used for a selfish man's ends. Pity, really. Though, I don't blame you. He tricked me once, too."

Tetra shook her head, uncomprehending. Linebeck was right. This girl really was crazy. "Look, all I know is that you stole a very special chart from Linebeck, and we need it back. So, if you don't want to get hurt, hand it over."

"There's no way I'd ever give it to you," Jolene spat. "It's mine!"

"Stealing something doesn't make it yours," Tetra admonished, narrowing her eyes as well and tightening her grip on her dagger.

"Tell that to the sorry excuse for a man cowering behind a child!" Jolene shot back with venom lacing her tone.

That was it. Tetra drew her dagger, but as she did, it clicked. Slowly, she turned around to face the cowardly sea captain. "Linebeck. Did you steal the chart from Jolene first?"

Now all eyes were on the cowering man, the silence suffocating.

"Did you or didn't you?!" Tetra demanded, stomping her foot to express her impatience. It did its job.

"I may or may not have borrowed it without permission…" Linebeck said finally.

Kid was aghast. "Linebeck!"

"What? She wasn't going to use it anyway!" Linebeck defended himself, straightening to his full height.

"Wasn't going to use it?!" Jolene screeched. "Who are you to decide what I am and am not going to use?"

"You said it yourself!" Linebeck accused, jabbing a finger at the seething she-pirate. "You said it was worthless to you!"

"That's because I thought we were trapped in the Realm of the Ocean King forever! That doesn't give you leave to steal my life's work!"

"Life's work?" Kid repeated uncertainly.

"Yes!" Jolene proclaimed, puffing out her chest proudly. "My crew and I made this chart, and it wasn't easy either." Tetra didn't doubt that, considering her own experience with the Great Sea's border, but as Jolene kept ranting about how difficult it was to create such a chart and how insolent it was of Linebeck to steal it from her, Tetra could hardly pay attention.

If all Jolene was saying was true, which judging by Linebeck's reaction, it was, then getting a hold of the chart now was next to impossible. Forcibly taking it from Jolene wasn't an option anymore. Jolene had just been stealing back what was rightfully hers to begin with. Tetra couldn't punish her for that any more than she could punish someone for having things she didn't. It was wrong. And even if she pushed past the morality of it all and found it within herself to fight Jolene for it, she'd never have the backup she needed. Jolene's entire crew were here to back her up, while all  _she_  had was Senza. Sure, Kid may back her up considering the reason why they needed the chart, but even if he did, he wouldn't be of much help with the condition he was in. Linebeck, though certainly willing, couldn't fight. The only other ones who could were Link and Zelda, but she knew she had no support there. Their morals were too strong to be broken.

That left two against seven. The odds weren't even close, but then they had to consider how powerful Jolene's men were. They couldn't be that good. Yet, she couldn't ignore Jolene's attachment to the chart. A fight for it would be even more brutal because of it. No. Tetra slid her dagger back into its sheath. She couldn't fight her for it. But she couldn't abandon all hope of getting the chart either. Whether it was Jolene's or not, they needed it to find a new Hyrule. What could Jolene be planning on using it for anyway? Treasure?

Tetra drew in a breath to calm herself. It was at least worth it to ask. "Jolene, what are you using the chart for?"

The question appeared to take the she-pirate off guard, for she paused in her shouting match with Linebeck to contemplate it. "Well, for discovery, I suppose. There's life beyond the Great Sea, and I'd like to find it."

Tetra furrowed her brow. "Why?"

"Because the Great Sea is dull and dangerous, or at least, it was. Now it's slowly dying due to lack of resources. My crew and I just don't plan to go out that way," Jolene explained.

"If that's the case, then why are you still here?" Tetra's stomach twisted itself into knots as the notion popped into her head that Jolene could still be here because she lost the chart. She did have yet to show it, after all.

Jolene looked away then, as if embarrassed. "Lack of funds."

Tetra released a relieved breath. Lack of funds. The words were music to Tetra's pointed ears, and also ironic considering how the she-pirate had turned down her money days ago on the grounds that she had "plenty of her own." "Really? Then how about we make a deal?"

"A deal?" Jolene wondered, her eyes returning to bore into Tetra's. "What kind of deal?"

"We'll fund you. And in return, you'll let us travel with you to wherever that chart leads." It wasn't her preferred option. But it seemed to be the only one she had, so Tetra held her breath, waiting for Jolene to say yes.

"Is  _he_  included in that us?" Jolene inquired, skeptical. Tetra didn't even have to look to know who she meant. Still, she had to think about it for a few moments. Did she want Linebeck along when he'd just tried to trick them into doing his dirty work for him? Then again, that was Linebeck's nature … and he'd only been doing it to help them. At least, she hoped so.

"Maybe. If he wants to be. But the point is, without my cooperation that chart of yours is useless." Tetra knew that much was true. So, too, it seemed, did Jolene, for she relented.

"Fine, but I have a few requirements of my own."

Tetra barely kept the grimace off her face. "What are they?"

"The only ones allowed to touch the chart are my crew and me. None of you can touch it, and if you do, the deal is off."

"Fair enough," Tetra conceded. "As long as we get to see it too."

Jolene nodded in agreement. "Second, if that filth is coming, be sure to keep him as far away from me as possible."

"Consider it done."

"Then," Jolene said, stepping forward and holding out her hand for Tetra to take, "I believe we have a deal."

"Yes," Tetra agreed, walking forward to meet the woman in the center. "I believe we do." They grasped each other's hands and shook on it, sealing the mutual agreement. It was a dangerous one, considering they didn't fully trust one another, and yet, there was little choice. They needed one another whether they liked it or not.

"Now then, before we can depart, my crew and I must go to Windfall in order to stock up on supplies, which, of course, you'll pay for as per the deal," Jolene declared as they broke contact. She certainly wasted no time with the new power she gained. But Tetra had power too.

"Only buy the essentials," she ordered. "We're not made of money."

"Oh, of course. I wouldn't dream of taking advantage of this." Jolene's painted lips pulled into a smirk, and Tetra scowled.

"Tetra." She whirled around to face her counterpart, Jolene temporarily forgotten. "May I speak with you for a moment? Privately?"

She knew exactly what this was about, and she had half a mind to deny Zelda's request that wasn't really a request. Yet, she knew if she didn't address it now, she'd only have to hear it when they got back to the ships, so Tetra excused herself and pulled the princess back towards the way they'd entered the docking space. She wasn't entirely surprised either when the rest of her companions followed them.

Now in a group huddle by the door, Princess Zelda laid it out plain and simple. "We cannot follow the chart right now."

Tetra sighed in exasperation. "Look, I'm not as stupid as you think I am. I didn't agree to this without thinking about it first. We need the chart. That's a fact. And I can't force it from Jolene since it's hers, which means the only way to get it is to work with her. I know Ghirahim is a concern for us. We need to defeat him, but we can't right now, even if we knew where he was. Not only are we not strong enough to begin with, but Kid can't fight at all now."

"I can too!" Kid protested indignantly.

Tetra ignored him and continued. "We need time to train and recover, so why not do something productive while we do?"

"That's a good point," Link admitted, mildly shocking Tetra, not only because he was agreeing with her, but because he looked to Zelda as if trying to convince her as well. "A little side-questing never hurt anyone, anyway."

Tetra stared at her counterpart, willing her to agree. Finally, perhaps feeling pressured, the princess sighed. "Alright."

They broke up their huddle then, returning to join Jolene and her crew in the middle of the room.

"Problem?" Jolene wondered.

"No. If you're ready, let's go," Tetra said.

"By all means." And so they exited the docking space in a much larger group than they'd entered it. There was no conversation as they passed through the dark corridor, just footsteps, but Tetra didn't mind. After what seemed like an age of things going awry, something was finally going right. Maybe it wasn't going the exact way she'd pictured it, but it was going in the right direction nonetheless.

As Tetra stepped outside into the warm sunlight, she couldn't help the fantasies of lands filled with rolling green hills that popped into her head. She would've been content to get lost in them forever, or at least until they reached the ships, but a scream rendered that impossible. She jumped, turning to the source just in time to see a purple rat leap out of the princess's bag and scurry away, a pouch that Tetra recognized as Zelda's wallet in its greedy paws.

Fearlessly, Tetra darted after it. If she could get close enough, she could step on its tail and pry the wallet from its paws. Unfortunately, the rat was faster than her, even with its burden.

"Tetra, stop!" She glanced over at Link, grinding to a halt when she saw him poised with a bow and arrow, tracking the rat's path.

Link released the bowstring and the arrow flew, pinging off the ground just a hair away from the rat. It veered left to be safe, but otherwise stayed on course towards the hole in the wall of the fortress. No! It couldn't go in there! If it did, they'd lose all their money!

Mobile once again, Tetra lunged for the rat, her right hand outstretched for whatever she could grab. Her fingers brushed the tip of the tail, and then she was on her stomach, staring into the darkness of the hole the rat had disappeared into. Her hand curled into a fist, and she slammed it down on the ground, cursing.

"Shame." Jolene laughed. "You almost had it."

Tetra shot to her feet and whirled around to face the smirking woman. "I wouldn't be laughing! That rat just stole your funding!" That wiped the smirk off of Jolene's face, and Tetra huffed, turning back to glare at the hole in the base of the wall.

She knew things had been going too well. The rat must have slipped into Zelda's bag while they were distracted at the docking space.

"Move," Kid ordered, stepping up beside her. Without any reason to argue, Tetra complied, taking a step to the left. She watched her best friend crouch down in front of the rat hole, and open his closed fist, sprinkling tiny red orbs on the ground. All-Purpose Bait.

She didn't understand until a rat appeared to stuff the bait into its mouth. It was impossible to tell if it was the same one that had stolen the wallet or not since all the rats looked identical.

"Deeeee-licious!" the rat proclaimed as it finished off the last of the snack.

It straightened to its full height then, its beady eyes on Kid. "Hey! I got somethin' real good I'll sell to ya! For real! So, what'll it be for ya? A Hyoi pear? Some arrows?"

"I don't want to buy anything," Kid said.

"Cheapskate…" the rat muttered.

Kid shook his head as if denying the accusation. "I want that wallet back with all the rupees it had in it."

The rat snickered as if Kid had just cracked a particularly vulgar joke. "No can do, pal. Finders keepers."

"Finding it in someone's bag doesn't count." Kid argued.

"Does if you're a rat!" The rodent turned around, about to duck back into its hole, but Tetra wasn't about to let that happen. She snatched it up by its long tail and held it up in front of her.

"Give us the wallet back!" she commanded the struggling rat.

"Eek!" the rat squeaked in fear. "I-I can't do that. But I'll tell ya what, if you can catch it, it's yours!"

"No deals!" Tetra glowered. "Just give it to back!"

"I already told ya, I can't! It's the pack's now! But if you can get it back, it's yours. Stealers keepers, I swear!"

As if that was its cue, a rat darted out of the hole, Zelda's wallet in hand. It scampered up the wall, and Tetra dropped the rat she was holding, running for the stairs and yelling for everyone to follow her.

Whether it was because they were loyal to her, Zelda, or the riches the rat held, everyone complied, stampeding up the twisting staircase behind her. Tetra's eyes never left the rat as it scaled the wall and scurried up to one of the out of commission watchtowers.

The ramp ahead was the quickest way there, so Tetra hurried up it, coming to a stone walkway that led directly to an out of commission watchtower. Just not the one she wanted.

The one she had her sights on was to her right, protected by unscalable stone. There was, however, a wooden ladder just beyond the block of stone that served as a makeshift barrier. Hefting herself on top of it, Tetra quickly got to her feet, angled herself towards the ladder, and jumped, grabbing a wooden rung to stop her descent. She hastily brought up her other hand and climbed.

As soon as she set foot on the top of the tower, the large rodent decided to move, slinging the wallet over its shoulder like a sack and bolting behind the still spotlight. Tetra ran around from the other side, hoping to cut it off. Instead, she rounded the spotlight just in time to see the rat disappearing over the tower's wall.

Despite the wall being rather low, Tetra's height ensured that getting on top of it wasn't an easy task. However, after a bit of struggling she managed it. Now, crouched on the top of the wall, Tetra cast her gaze out for any sign of the rat. She didn't have to look far, for it was just below her, on the protective overhang for one of the fortress's outdoor passages.

Without any thought but catching the rat, Tetra leapt off the wall and onto the overhang, rolling as she landed and just missing the rat as it scrambled away from her grasping hands.

The wallet thief leapt off of the flat roof, and practically landed on the heads of some of Jolene's crew who had been wandering around below in confusion.

"Grab it!" Tetra shouted, but the men shied away from the rat as if it were diseased. She couldn't believe they were afraid of it! Then again, these were Jolene's men. Thankfully, her own companions weren't far behind, and Senza, Kid, and Link, shot past the squeamish men, after the rat.

By the time Tetra jumped down to rejoin the chase, the boys had reached the last of the stairs, and Jolene's men were just beginning to move, encouraged by an irritated order from the self-proclaimed she-pirate.

Tetra pushed past them all and met up with Zelda halfway down the stairs.

"What's the matter with you?! Use that teleporting spell you do and catch it!" Tetra exclaimed as she ran beside Zelda.

Zelda shook her head. "Impossible. My magic is still depleted from last night."

"Then teach me how to do it!" Tetra demanded. "Hurry!"

"It's not that simple," Zelda returned as they stepped into the courtyard. "And it hardly matters now. Look!"

Wrenching her gaze away from her counterpart, Tetra found the rat at the end of the courtyard, scuttling up the wall with its prize and making for the boarded up waterway.

"Shoot it, Link!" she screamed. If it got away, she no longer had anything to bargain with. Jolene would take the chart, and the Great Sea would waste away.

An arrow flew through the air, then another, and another. But the rat was agile and more alert of its surroundings than anyone had anticipated, and after dodging one final arrow, it was gone.

But hope wasn't. That boarded up passage led straight to the docking space they were in earlier. There was still a chance to catch the rat, but only if they were fast. Tetra veered towards the fortress's doors, leaving everyone else to do as they saw fit.

Kid, it seemed, had the same idea, for he met her at the grand wooden doors. Together, they pushed one of the doors open and slipped inside, immediately running for the left-hand passage. The time it took to clear the hallway felt far too long, and Tetra's heart was in her throat as they opened the door and rushed into the docking space.

Upon rounding the corner, they found the rat holding Zelda's rupee laden wallet triumphantly above its head while its brethren darted in and out of the two holes in the wall in a celebratory manner. As soon as the purple rodents caught sight of them, however, the victory dance was put on hold, and they all scurried for their holes, including the one with the wallet.

There was no time to aim. Tetra simply drew her dagger and flung it towards the rat. The dagger hurtled into the rodent, its gleaming tip snuffing out the animal's life in an instant.

Tetra was stunned, frozen in place. Victory? Had she really just got lucky? Her dagger lay next to Zelda's wallet on the floor. She'd done it!

Grinning, the young pirate captain took a step forward to retrieve her spoils, and as she did so, a spell was broken.

"She killed Jeff!" a rat squeaked. Suddenly, Tetra and Kid found themselves staring in horror as a multitude of hairy, purple bodies began to pour out of the holes in the walls, their beady eyes flashing red.

There was no doubt about it. They'd overstayed their welcome. As swiftly as she could, Tetra scooped up the wallet and dagger from the ground and turned tail.

Link, Senza, and Zelda were just coming into the room but at a hurried, "RUN!" from both her and Kid, they turned around too. Or maybe it was the wave of rats gathering behind them that convinced them that staying was a bad idea. Tetra didn't know, and she didn't much care to turn around to check.

"What happened to stealers keepers?!" Link wanted to know as they tore down the corridor, the sounds of hundreds of pattering paws and enraged squeaks filling their ears.

"I killed one of the rats to get the wallet back," Tetra informed him. "Suffice it to say, that didn't sit well with them!"

"Oh my…" Princess Zelda's faint voice reached her ears over the sound of their pursuers, and Tetra looked ahead to find more rats coming towards them, crawling along the walls, ceiling, and floor.

Gods above! There was another rat hole at the entrance, and it seemed that they'd gotten the memo.

"Miss Tetra-" Senza began, his tone one she recognized well. It was one that said, "This is a bad idea." Bad idea or not, they didn't have a choice.

"It's fine! Kick them, use your dagger, whatever it takes!"

That was easier said than done, though. Rats now littered the floor, weaving and scratching and biting about their ankles in an attempt to topple them. In no time, Tetra found herself stumbling instead of running as the rats' claws bit into her exposed feet and ankles. But she didn't care so much about the pinpricks of pain as she did about the lack of movement. If she couldn't move, then she couldn't get to the exit. The rats would overwhelm her and then-

A violent pull on her left arm sent her crashing into Senza, and she would have fallen if he hadn't hefted her onto his shoulder in the same breath. Normally, she'd be annoyed at him for doing such a thing, especially without warning, but at the moment, she could only feel relief.

Unfortunately, it didn't last very long. She could see Kid struggling in much the same way she had just been for a similar reason. But even though the rest of her companions' footwear was better suited for protection than hers and Kid's, that didn't necessarily make running through the rats any easier. As they began to slow, Tetra cast her gaze around for anything that could help, gripping her dagger tightly in her right hand while cradling Zelda's wallet to her chest with her left.

Rats. Rats. Rats. Besides her struggling companions, that was all she could see in the dark corridor. A gleam of metal caught her eye as Link drew his sword, but she knew it wouldn't do much good. There were too many.

Pain suddenly alighted on her right arm as a rat dug its claws into her flesh. She gasped and swung her arm around wildly in an attempt to dislodge it. She could do nothing more. Her other hand held the wallet, and there was no way she was going to risk losing it by exchanging it with her dagger.

Tetra decided then to keep her arm mobile so that the rat couldn't find the stability to take a bite out of her. It turned out to be easier than she thought, but only because there were more rodents leaping from the rafters in an attempt to land on her and Senza. Between the two of them, they just managed to keep any more rats from landing, but that did nothing about the ones on the floor, which were growing more audacious and beginning to latch onto the Hylians in an effort to weigh them down.

It was working. They weren't moving anymore, and from her peripherals, Tetra could see that Link, Zelda, and Kid had also come to a standstill, overwhelmed by the pests.

No. This wasn't the way they were going to go. Devoured by rats.  _'Think,'_ she ordered herself as she swiped another rat out of the air.  _'There has to be something we can do.'_  There had to be, but she couldn't think of anything. Swords weren't doing any good. They needed something big, something like an explosion to wipe out a good number of them at once. But both Kid and Link were too occupied with trying to get the rats off of them to dig out bombs from their belongings. And even if they weren't, using explosives was a risk. Not only because they were in a cramped hallway, but also because some sea rats had a penchant for throwing bombs, and in that case they'd only succeed in blowing themselves to pieces.

Fire was another idea, but there wasn't a glowing ember in sight, and they'd need more than a tiny flame to scare off the large rodents anyhow. A flamethrower or fireball would be more helpful, but she had no way of making that happen. She could have if her counterpart had bothered to teach her how to shoot fire out of her palms. But of course the only thing Zelda had taught her so far was how to make a shield. Useless!

…Or was it?

Striking one more rat out of the air, Tetra sheathed her dagger and held out her hand, concentrating. She imagined the door that contained her power and wrenched it open. Immediately, she felt untapped power coursing through her veins, but she didn't let the small victory distract her. She still had yet to do anything with it.

Taking note of where everyone was positioned, Tetra dipped into her magic supply and directed it outward and around them, so it encompassed them all. Before she could actually cast the spell, however, a rat landed in her lap, and her concentration skipped away from her reach along with all of the magic she'd just summoned.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Tetra swatted the purple pest off of her lap, and then tried to call the magic that had retreated back to the surface. It flared to life in her chest, warm and golden-green, but she had no choice but to let it withdraw when she was interrupted yet again. And again. And again. It was no use. She wasn't adept enough to cast a spell in mere seconds. But her counterpart was.

"Zelda, put up a shield, throw fire at these things! Do something!" she shouted at the princess who was just a couple steps ahead of them, taking jabs at the rats with her sword and frantically flinging off any that managed to cling to her.

For a moment, Tetra thought her counterpart was too distracted by the horde of rats to acknowledge her words, but then she turned to face her, and their eyes locked. Icy blue meeting ocean blue.

"You must lend me your power. I don't have enough!" Zelda exclaimed.

"How?" Tetra demanded, shaking off yet another rat.

"Take my hand!" Zelda commanded, cutting through the rats as best as she could so that she could stumble close enough for Tetra to do just that.

Tetra clasped her counterpart's hand in her own. This time when she called forth her magic it was wrenched so brutally away from her that her head spun. For a dizzying moment, she thought she was going to fall, but Senza's grip on her was firm, and she stayed right where she was.

Blue burst across her vision, and suddenly they were all nestled inside a rather large bubble shield. Rats pounded its base, top, and sides, seeking entry but finding none. Tetra was glad. There were already far too many inside of the shield for her liking.

New pain reminded her that there was still a rat attached to her arm, and she loosened her grip on her counterpart to reach for her dagger. Zelda's hold on her, however, tightened.

"Don't," the princess breathed, perspiration beading her brow. She was completely immobile, crushing Tetra's hand in her own and impervious to the rats running around her feet.

Maybe if Tetra had been concentrating on keeping the shield up, she would have been able to push everything else out of her mind too, but she couldn't. Especially when she felt a rat climb onto her head, its claws tangling in her hair.

"Agh! Get it off!" she cried, furiously shaking her head. She felt part of her updo come undone, but she didn't care as long as it got the rat off. Except it didn't.

Almost before she could process it, Senza slipped her off of his shoulder and disposed of the two rats assailing her. But even with the nuisances gone, she didn't feel much better. The rats on the ground had no mercy, and she was defenseless, linked to Zelda like she was.

Senza, however, was now able to move freely, and he began to help Link and Kid eradicate the rats on the floor. They weren't fast enough. Not in her opinion. But they managed it, and soon it was just the five of them encased within the protective barrier, their labored breathing filling the air.

"This is insane," Link said, eyeing the rats throwing themselves at the shield. "How are we supposed to get out?"

"Move with the shield," Tetra proposed.

"Zelda, can you walk?" Link asked, approaching the princess and hovering a cautious hand over her shoulder.

Zelda gave no response, and Tetra looked up at her counterpart. Her face was etched in concentration, just as before. There was no way she was going to take a step. Not without breaking the shield.

Tetra took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking. "Give me half. I'll hold half of it."

A ton of bricks toppled onto her shoulders. At least, that's what it felt like. How could this only be  _half_  the weight of the spell?! How could Zelda have kept any more than this up for a fraction of a second?

"This is much more manageable," the princess announced, though she didn't relax completely. Tetra, on the other hand, could hardly breathe.  _'A wall, a wall. A brick wall. No, a stone wall. An impenetrable stone wall,'_  she thought, eyes squeezed shut.  _'Hold. Please hold.'_ Each hit to the shield was a pulse that felt like a punch, and it took all her willpower to not flinch.

Dimly, she heard her companions conversing, but she didn't listen.  _'A wall. A stone wall.'_

Suddenly, some of the weight lifted, and she opened her eyes, confused.

"Is that … better?" her counterpart inquired, the strain in her voice apparent. "If I take much more … moving-"

Tetra cut her off with a shake of her head. "It's fine. I can … handle this much." She hoped.

"Good. When we move … it must be in sync. If not, the shield … will shatter."

Tetra shook her head. They couldn't do that. They were  _never_  in sync!

"Can we help you two somehow?" Link wondered.

"Yes," Zelda said. "Stop talking." The princess then turned to Tetra. "Small steps. I'll count them … out loud."

Tetra's mind screamed no, but she agreed anyway. And then Zelda started to count.

"One." They both took a step forward, and the shield moved with them. At least, she thought it did. It was hard to tell, considering how intensely she was focused on her current task. Walking had never been so difficult.

Despite sustaining less than half the spell, Tetra found herself struggling by the time they reached their sixth step. But they were almost out of the hallway. She couldn't give up now.

"Seven."  _Crack!_ Tetra's head shot up to see scars running along the shield. It was breaking.

"Tetra, concentrate." Zelda ordered.

"Trying…" she managed through gritted teeth. Tetra focused on the fractures, willing them to close with an extra burst of magic. Slowly, very slowly, they mended themselves, and the shield was pristine and blue once more.  _'Impenetrable.'_

"Ready?" Zelda checked.

She nodded. "Eight." They took another step forward, and Tetra heard the small sighs of relief from behind them when the shield held. Neither she, nor Zelda could afford to relax, though. The seventh step had proved that.

Tensely, they moved from the eighth step, to the ninth, to the tenth, to the eleventh, to the twelfth. Each one was excruciating, and they'd only just made it out of the corridor. Now they had to cross the pool of writhing rats to the door.

The door, which was miles away, or might as well been with the way she felt. Nonetheless, she steeled herself. They could make it. It was just a few steps.

But it only took one to jeopardize them.

Fortunately, Tetra and Zelda were able to keep perfect pace. Until, that is, the second to last step that would take them close enough to the door for the boys to push it open.

It was an explosion that took her breath away and drove her to her knees. She felt the hot tension in her chest snap, and instantly cold seeped in to replace it. All of her magic was gone. And the rats were here.

They surrounded her, suffocating her, drowning her with their bodies, and then she was wrenched to her feet by rough hands and stumbling forward towards the doors. She caught Zelda in her peripherals, her situation similar, though it was Link who supported her instead of Senza. Kid was ahead of all of them, cutting through the rats in their way to form a wavering path that closed up almost as soon as it was opened.

Tetra could plainly see the pain each swing caused him, but she didn't yell for him to stop. He couldn't stop. If he did, the rats would have an even easier time of overwhelming them.

Suddenly, her hands were on wood and she was pushing the door open with Senza and Kid, staggering out into warm, salty air. The taste of freedom! Almost.

Rats streamed out of the open door after Link and Zelda, and still more shot out of the holes at the base of the fortress's sturdy walls.

Jolene, who had been loitering in the courtyard with her crew, gasped upon seeing them and their pursuers. "What did you do?!"

"We got the wallet back no thanks to you!" Tetra gasped out as she shot past the she-pirate on her way towards the ships.

"Excuse me for assuming you people had it covered!" Jolene returned as she and her faux pirates joined them in running for their lives, the purple pests in hot pursuit.

When they reached the moored vessels, Tetra only had sights for Linebeck's ship. She scrambled onto the deck with Zuko's aid, her heart threatening to burst out of her chest. Then it stopped as a new thought struck her, and she whirled back around to take stock. Senza. Zelda. Link. Kid. Where was Linebeck?

Her eyes shot to Jolene's men, but he wasn't amongst them either.

"What the-"

She didn't let the familiar voice finish, and swiveled around, fully aware that she probably looked crazed with her hair a mess and scratches decorating her arms and legs. "Linebeck! Get us out of here!" For once, she was grateful for his cowardice, for it had drawn him to the safety of his ship long before now.

With hundreds of rodents threatening them, the sea captain was fresh out of grumbled comments and excuses and followed her orders instantly, disappearing into the bridge.

Tetra rushed forward to help ward off the rats while the last of her companions climbed on board. Despite them being on a ship, that didn't deter the vermin in the slightest. They were intent on getting revenge, and a little water, it seemed, wouldn't stop them.

Just as the last person stepped on deck, the ship lurched, and they were on their way, the rats still trying but not nearly as successful. Not with them, at least. Jolene and her crew were slower to pull out, and Tetra watched anxiously as Jolene and her men scrambled around the deck of the other vessel, shouting and cursing as they fought off the rats while simultaneously trying to ship out.

Only when she was confident that they had gotten away did Tetra tear her gaze away from their new allies and begin to catch her breath. As she looked around, she saw that her companions were doing the same, all save for Zuko, who hadn't done any running, and Linebeck who was steering the ship as fast as he could away from the fortress.

"That … was most unpleasant," Princess Zelda gasped breathlessly, a hand to her chest. Tetra would have made a wisecrack, but she had to agree. When in large packs, rats were quite formidable.

"That was crazy!" Link exclaimed from where he sat cross-legged against one of the posts. "Rats never gave me that much trouble before."

"They shouldn't be allowed to give anyone that much trouble," Tetra declared sourly, as she dropped the wallet in her lap, swept her hair out of its messy bun and began to redo it. "They made me lose all my magic."

"It will recharge," Princess Zelda assured her. "And you did very well."

Tetra frowned at that. It was a lie. She didn't do well at all, and her counterpart knew it. It had been Zelda that did most of it, not her, which, she supposed, only proved that she still had a lot of training to do if such lowly creatures could wipe out her entire magic supply in mere minutes.

Tetra felt it too. It wasn't quite exhaustion, though that was present in her limbs as well. It was more of an emptiness deep inside of her, like something vital was missing.

As if sensing her mood, or perhaps he was just being clueless as usual, Link changed the subject. "By the way, since when do rats steal wallets? What could they possibly gain from that? I'd understand if it was food but … rupees?"

"Sea rats are greedy little buggers," Senza explained before she could. "They just want them to have them and that's it."

"But why?" Link pressed.

"Probably because they're brainless and like shiny things," Tetra chimed in, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. We got the wallet back, so success!" She smirked, holding up the wallet in victory and letting all thoughts of magic dissipate. What was important right now was that they had the money.

"Are all the rupees in it?" Her counterpart's inquiry caught her off guard, and she furrowed her brow, concentrating on the weight of the pouch in her hand. It  _felt_  pretty full, but then she didn't know how much had been in it to begin with.

"Here," Zelda said, coming to her side and holding out her hand. "Let me see."

Tetra handed the wallet to her counterpart and watched Zelda sift through its contents, praying to all the gods she knew to let all the money be there. Finally, the princess closed the wallet with a satisfied nod, and Tetra relaxed.

The rest of the ride was a mix of passing around potions and sitting in silence. Tetra was grateful for both activities. The former took care of her wounds and refilled some of her magic, while the latter allowed her to fantasize about foreign seas ripe with treasure and new lands lush with grassy plains as endless as the ocean.

Now, as she began to climb the rope ladder up to her ship, her thoughts were interrupted by a shout.

"See you at Windfall!" Jolene's triumphant voice grated in her ears, and she turned to address the captain of the ship cruising past them.

"You can't buy anything without my money, numbskull!" she called back, but it seemed that she wasn't heard. That, or, more likely, Jolene just ignored her.

"That's my money," Zelda corrected her from below where she waited on the deck of Linebeck's ship.

Tetra waved her hand in the direction of her counterpart in a blasé manner. "Oh, same thing."

Climbing the rest of the way up, Tetra was barely able to take in the sight of the repaired railings before she was bombarded with questions from her crew about what Jolene was talking about and what had transpired in the time she'd been away from them. She yelled at them for it, putting on a stern face and admonishing them for crowding her, but in reality she couldn't be happier because they now had a chance. They had a chance of finding a new Hyrule.

Though the scenery was wrong and there were more people here than before, Tetra felt like they were setting out anew, fresh after the defeat of Ganondorf, and with that feeling came new hope.

A few minutes later, when they set sail for Windfall Island, the winds of fortune filled their sails, and Tetra couldn't help but smile. The impossible had just become possible.


	16. Like a Brother

It had been three hours since they'd left behind the rat-infested fortress for the open ocean. Whether those three hours were tranquil or chaotic would depend on who you were. For Link, they were teeming with busywork that Niko set him to. Link was positive that when Tetra ordered the buck-toothed pirate to keep him busy, dumping all of his chores on Link was not what she'd meant.

Nonetheless, it was what had happened, and he had been forced to grin and bear it. Until now, that is.

Now, as he emerged onto the upper deck and into the much less oppressive afternoon heat, Link could barely suppress a smile at the sight of Linebeck's immobile ship. According to Nudge, who had come to fetch him, the sea captain's ship had stalled a couple minutes ago. Why that was, no one was sure. Perhaps it was because of whatever abuse it went through days ago, or maybe it was just because of how hard the sea captain had been pushing it since they left the Forsaken Fortress. Whatever the case, until Linebeck resolved the matter, they weren't going anywhere.

And since they were bobbing in the middle of a monster infested ocean, it only seemed sensible to have someone on deck who was capable of defending both ships if necessary. Link didn't mind being nominated to act as official sea monster slayer. It was a much better sentence than being Niko's personal slave, and he was going to take full advantage of it.

After taking up a sentry-like post at one of the railings, Link dug out the fishing rod Colin had made for him -what felt like decades ago now- from his belongings and cast the line as far as he could. It was more of a gesture to ensure that no one disturbed him rather than an aspiration to actually catch something. He should've known it wouldn't work.

"Are you fishing for monsters?" Link looked over his shoulder to see the bespectacled pirate, Mako if he recalled correctly, with an amused look on his face.

"No," Link replied seriously. "I'm fishing for fish."

"You're not going to catch anything," Mako stated as if it were a fact rather than his own opinion. Link's gaze flicked to the ocean, then returned to Mako.

"You're joking, right?" There had to be millions of fish swimming below the surface. Granted, he hadn't gotten a bite yet, but then, he'd only just cast his line.

"Why would I joke?" Mako wondered. Link only raised his eyebrows at that in a you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me manner. Practically ever since he'd first set foot on the ship, Tetra's pirates had discovered a penchant for exploiting his lack of knowledge. They _constantly_  cracked jokes at his expense. The real question was: why wouldn't he joke?

"Yeah, why would Mako joke?" Tetra's first mate, Gonzo, said as he came over to join them. Link barely restrained himself from groaning. "He's not funny. But I'll tell ya what, if you do catch something, I'll give you a million rupees."

"Do you even have that kind of money?" Link asked, though he didn't really care. He just wanted them to leave. Maybe when the man realized he didn't have the money he was betting, he'd go find some way to scrounge it up and leave him be.

No such luck.

"Doesn't matter 'cause you're not catchin' nothin'," Gonzo replied, his arms crossed confidently over his barrel chest.

Link just shook his head and turned back to the sparkling sea. These men were ridiculous, and he had more important matters to address. Namely, what was wrong with Kid.

His counterpart had been acting strange ever since this morning. At first, Link had attributed it to Kid's injury. He knew for a fact that it was fairly hard to be pleasant or rational when you were in pain. However, he also knew that being in pain, meant that sleep was tantalizing on account of the fact that all feeling tends to melt away in the hazy clutches of sleep. But rest, as far as Link had gathered, was something of a foreign concept to the wounded boy at the moment. Kid insisted on being awake and alert along with the rest of them despite the fact that Tetra forbid him from doing anything that would put strain on his arm, so he couldn't really do much besides talk.

And Kid wasn't willing to do that either. He'd barely said a word all day; not that he was normally a chatterbox but he would still  _talk_. Now, Kid only said what he absolutely had to, and since they'd returned to the ship, that had been nothing. In fact, he seemed to be making it his own private mission to avoid the rest of them as much as possible, Link in particular.

There could only be one reason for that. Kid was mad at him. Exactly why that was, however, Link had no clue. He couldn't recall doing anything to evoke such hostility from his counterpart. Yet, he had to have done _something_  or else Kid wouldn't be avoiding him like the plague right now.

' _Think,'_  Link willed himself, closing his eyes and trying to ignore the chatter of the pirates behind him.  _'What have you done in the last twenty-four hours?'_

He'd started teaching Kid some of the hidden skills his ancestor, the Hero of Time, had taught him. He'd battled a sea monster. He'd saved Kid from drowning. Could that be it? No. It couldn't be. Kid had shown nothing but gratitude afterwards. In fact, he'd told him last night that he didn't blame him for it. The only one that blamed him for it, Link realized, was himself.

But that was for good reason. He was the Hero Chosen by the Gods. Monsters weren't anything new for him. Admittedly, sea monsters weren't his specialty, as he'd had limited exposure to those, but they were still monsters nonetheless. Which meant he should have been able to handle it before it got too dangerous for any of them. But he hadn't, and Kid had paid the price.

For that, he was sorry beyond words, but a simple apology wouldn't magically fix his mistakes. They were too severe for that. Link knew that if the Hero's Shade could see him now, he'd definitely be disappointed. In fact, he'd be furious with him. He'd admonish him for neglecting his training in the time after his adventure. He'd tell him that lack of being in peril was no excuse to let his skills grow sloppy. And Link would concede that he was right. It was no excuse, but he'd used it as one because he hadn't known what else to do. No amount of fighting or adventuring would let him reunite with his friend, and partner in saving the world, again. Or, at least, that's what he'd thought.

Now Midna was here, with him. Probably in his shadow, and his swordsmanship was suffering and so was his counterpart. All because-

Link stumbled forward, his stomach slamming into the railing and his eyes shooting open in surprise as his fishing rod suddenly came to life in his hands. Instinctively, he pulled back on the rod, which was already bending to the will of the fish on the other end, and readjusted his stance, digging his heels into the floor as best as he could.

Something was definitely biting. And it was big.

As Link struggled to reel it in, praying that his fishing rod could take the pressure, he dimly heard the shouts of the pirates behind him urging him to stop and let it go, but there was no chance of that happening. If he let it go, it would take his rod with it, and he wasn't letting that happen. It was too precious to part with.

So, with a battle cry he usually reserved for, well, battle, Link gave the line a violent tug. The fish shot out of the water for him to see that it wasn't a fish at all, but a Gyorg.

Mouth hanging open in utter shock, Link watched as the fishing line snapped and the Gyorg all but flew over his head and the heads of the pirates to the other side of the ship where it crashed back into the water with a mighty splash.

Stunned, Link could do nothing but stare at where the monster shark had disappeared. Then the ship rocked dangerously, and he dropped the fishing rod.

"Link!" Tetra snapped from the bow, but he was already moving towards the other side of the ship, his bow in hand and arrow nocked.

He made it to the railing just as the shark-like monster was about to ram the pirate ship again, and released the projectile. It struck the Gyorg and halted the monster's attack but didn't kill it, so Link prepared a second arrow and fired.

That did the trick, and suddenly the Gyorg was no more. Link let out a relieved breath as he lowered his bow and turned to find Tetra regarding him with the evil eye, hands on hips.

"Just what was that?" she demanded.

Link opened his mouth but didn't know what to say. He hardly knew what had just happened himself.

Luckily, the pirates were there to provide their captain with an answer.

" _That_  was awesome!"

"No!" Tetra objected, whirling around to glare disapprovingly at whoever had spoken. "It was not awesome!" Turning back to him, she said, "Why, in Nayru's name, are you trying to attract Gyorgs?!"

"I'm not!" Link exclaimed, throwing his hands up defensively. "I was just fishing!"

"Fish-?!" Disbelief came over the young girl's face, then mirth. Tetra doubled over laughing, actually  _laughing_ , and Link took a step back in shock. In all his time knowing her, Tetra had been all scowls and frowns. Smirks were the closest she'd ever come to a real smile. He hadn't thought her capable, as ludicrous as it may seem, of laughing. Yet here she was, holding her stomach and shaking with giggles. For the first time, she was acting like the child she should be, or would've been had none of this crazy destiny stuff ever happened, and he was loath to interrupt her because of it.

Shortly after the pirates joined in, however, Link was sick of being left out of the loop.

He cleared his throat. "Tetra? What's the joke here?"

"You and your idiocy!" she cried good-naturedly, straightening and trying, but failing, to wipe the smile off her face. "The Great Sea is a fishless ocean!"

"It's…" he trailed off, unable to comprehend what Tetra was telling him. "It can't be."

"It is," Tetra declared so matter-of-factly that it rendered arguing futile. That didn't stop him from trying, though.

"B-but how? I thought you said-" He shook his head. "Someone said something about fishermen before…?" Link couldn't accept that there were no fish in a body of water as massive as the one they were sailing on. There were plenty of fish found in rivers and ponds in Hyrule. Why not here?

"'Fishermen' is a pet name for sea monster hunters," she informed him with a wink. "But I can understand the confusion."

"Alright, I guess that makes sense, but - wait a minute! What have we been eating?!" He recalled, much too vividly at the moment, having a lunch not too long ago that tasted, and appeared, very fish-like.

Tetra nearly burst out laughing again, and Link suddenly decided that he didn't want to know.

"Never mind!" he exclaimed hastily. "I have a better question."

Tetra nodded, and he continued. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

She shrugged. "I thought Kid told you."

"He didn't."

Tetra scoffed. "Obviously. Look, you know now, so don't do it again, alright?"

"I won't. Actually, I can't. My line broke," Link admitted.

"Ah, well then, consider that your punishment," Tetra smirked, effectively shattering the illusion of an innocent child, and Link stepped around her to retrieve his rod and broken line. By some miracle, Ralis's earring was still attached, and Link silently thanked the goddesses for it as he stowed it away. He didn't know what he would've done if he'd lost it.

"Oi! Gonzo, are you going to pay him or what?" Mako's voice caught his attention, and Link listened in quiet amusement as the two pirates conversed while he gathered up the broken line from the floor.

"Don't be ridiculous, Mako. Of course I'm not. He didn't catch any fish, yeah?"

"He caught a Gyorg," Mako countered, "and I recall you saying 'if you catch  _something_ ' so…"

"You don't have to pay me anything," Link interjected upon glancing up and noticing Gonzo's expression of horror. "I know you were just joking."

"Eh, still…"

Link shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

And yet, despite his insistence, Gonzo worried about it, so they ended up coming to a compromise a few minutes later. Instead of making Link a millionaire, Gonzo would buy him a new line for his fishing rod when they reached Windfall Island.

However, reaching the island was still out of the question for the time being, so Link took up his previous post at the railing, his quiver slung over his shoulder and his bow resting in his lap. If any more monsters showed up, he'd definitely be ready.

But after ten minutes of watching the water, nothing appeared. He glanced over at Linebeck's ship, but it was impossible to tell if any progress was being made or not since whatever needed fixing was inside the ship.

"Link." He jumped, surprised that he hadn't heard Zelda approach. Their eyes met and she announced, "Kid wants you."

"He does?" Link wondered, skeptical. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I think you two need to talk."

"What's wrong?" Link asked, hoping Zelda knew, but the princess gave a small shake of her head.

"I do not know. I didn't pry because it's not my place to," she explained. "But I think it may be yours."

Link could only nod in agreement. Even though he couldn't determine the exact problem, he did know one thing for sure. Whatever was wrong with Kid had to do with him.

As Link stood, his bow clattered to the ground, and he sighed. How had he forgotten that so easily?

"Wait. I can't," Link groaned, retrieving his bow from the ground cursing his new job for the first time. "I'm on monster duty." Normally he wouldn't care if he made Tetra mad, but she'd been in a pretty good mood since they'd left the fortress, and he didn't really want to squander it. Plus, there were real dangers in the water, and if no one else had arrows to take care of them…

"I'll cover for you," Zelda offered, taking the bow out of his hand and slipping the quiver off his shoulder almost before he could blink. "Kid's in Niko's obstacle course room."

Link smiled. "Thanks, Zelda."

"Of course. Though, if you don't mind me asking, what was all that commotion earlier?"

"Nothing," Link replied hastily.

"Nothing doesn't rock the ship," Zelda countered with a knowing smile.

"Ask one of the pirates," Link advised her before walking briskly towards the door that would take him inside of the pirate ship. He didn't want to keep Kid waiting any longer than he had to, especially since his counterpart actually  _wanted_  to talk to him after ignoring him all day. Link figured that was progress. How it had gotten to this point, Link didn't know, nor did he care. If he could talk to Kid and have his counterpart cooperate, then they could resolve whatever was wrong.

Armed with optimism, Link hurried below decks to the room Zelda had told him he'd find Kid in. What he didn't know until he arrived at his destination was that Kid was armed as well. The mere sight of his counterpart sitting atop a crate with a determined frown on his face and a wooden sword in his hand was enough to make Link falter.

He quickly regained his forward momentum, though, believing that he could salvage the situation. Surely, it wasn't what it looked like. And it wasn't. Until Kid said in a tone that was all business and no play, "Train me."

Link searched his counterpart's emerald eyes for any sign of mischief as he drew closer, but came up empty.

Trying not to betray his disappointment, Link came to a stop a couple feet from his counterpart. "I can't."

"Won't," Kid corrected him immediately as if he'd been anticipating Link's response for a while now.

"Okay, won't," Link conceded. "But for good reason. You've pushed it enough today."

"I didn't push anything."

That was a lie. Shortly after they'd returned to the pirate ship from the fortress, Zelda had had to tend to and re-bandage Kid's arm because his wound had reopened again. It didn't take a genius to figure out what would happen if Kid continued to be rough with his arm, and Link wasn't about to be the reason why Kid's wound was aggravated a third time.

"Kid, give me the sword," he ordered, holding out his hand for the wooden weapon.

His counterpart only tightened his grip on the hilt and scowled at him. The loathing in Kid's eyes took Link aback, but he didn't let it dissuade him. If anything, his resolve was strengthened by the boy's stubbornness.

"Or don't," Link said, dropping his hand to his side. "Just listen. I-"

"No. Train me," Kid insisted.

"Not a chance," Link returned.

"Why?"

"How about you tell me why you want me to train you while you're hurt?" Link requested, crossing his arms over his chest. Kid may have won earlier with the Forsaken Fortress thing, but he was  _not_ going to win this time. Link wouldn't allow it.

"How about you answer my question first?" Kid shot back, mirroring his stance, though it was difficult to do with a sword in his hand, and Link would have to be blind to not see the pain it caused the young boy to move his left arm.

"Fine. I'm not training you because you're hurt, and I don't want you to hurt yourself even worse," Link summed up, a bit miffed that he had to spell it out. "Your turn."

"Because I  _need_  it," Kid declared with such ferocity that Link was startled into surrendering his stern stance. "Whether I'm hurt or not doesn't matter. In fact, if I'm hurt, all the better because every time it hurts while we train it'll remind me exactly why I'm doing it! It's because I'm not as good as you are. And I know now that you don't want me to be. You  _like_ that I'm weaker than you!"

"Wha-what are you talking about?!" Link exclaimed, shaking his head in bafflement. Where was all of this coming from suddenly? "I don't think that at all!"

"Then why do you protect me all the time?" Kid demanded, tossing the sword aside. It echoed with a dull clatter as it struck the ground. "Why do you act like I can't do anything myself?! Like if I do I'll break or something?"

"I don't act like-" Link stopped, realizing Kid was right. "Okay, maybe I do. But I don't do it because I think you're weak or you can't handle yourself."

"Then  _why_?"

Link just shook his head in response. He didn't know. Or he did, but it wasn't something he could explain. It was hardly something he'd ever tried to put into coherent thought, much less words. Yet, one look at Kid, and Link knew he had to try. There was no other way to placate his counterpart.

"I-" Link snapped his mouth shut. This had to come out right. If it didn't, Link could tell just by the way that Kid was perched on the edge of his seat that he would storm off, and who knew when the boy would feel like talking to him again, if ever.

Briefly, Link wondered how Kid had turned the spotlight on his feelings rather than his own.

He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the words about to tumble out of his mouth as much as he was drawing in air to speak. "It's, well, it's weird. When I first met you, I don't know why, but I felt some kind of connection with you, like … like I'd known you longer than I actually have.

"And I never understood that, or … thought I understood it, until later, when you pulled out the Master Sword and we thought you guys were from the future. Then I … I don't know." Link ran an unconscious hand through his hair. "I thought that maybe … maybe we were blood related, and that made me happy because I've never had that. I mean, technically I have, but only until I was two, and I don't even remember it. I don't remember my parents at all. I don't know what kind of people they were. I don't even know how they died. But, however it happened, I didn't have the power to stop it.

"So I wanted to protect you since I could, and I guess that feeling just … stuck even after I found out that you weren't who I thought you were. It still feels like you are. To me, you're like…" ' _A brother._ ' The words were there, but Link didn't utter them, afraid of the response he would receive if he did. Acceptance? Rejection? Could he handle the latter, now that he'd named his feelings? Could he withstand losing what he felt to be the last remnants of his real family?

"Like what?" Kid demanded, but it lacked the ferocity from before and came off as more cautious than anything.

"Like … family," Link amended, his eyes on the ground. As soon as he said it, he wanted to snatch it back and bury it deep within his thoughts where no one could uncover it. To turn back time and say something else or nothing at all. But it was too late for that. All he could do now was stand in the silence and wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And then, after what felt like an eternity and a day, Kid spoke. "…Oh." It was just one word, but it was filled with understanding and regret and not a trace of anger, and it was enough to encourage Link to raise his head.

As soon as he did, he saw that Kid's head was bowed just as his had been, his windswept golden-blonde hair obscuring his eyes. "I'm sorry…" Kid whispered so softly that even Link's heightened senses had trouble picking it up. "I just … I-I'm not used to people caring."

Link furrowed his brow at that, waiting for his counterpart to continue but he didn't. He just kept his eyes downcast, worrying the hem of his shirt with his fingers. He looked different in regular clothes. It was easier for Link to see the boy in him, rather than the hero. In a way, his clothes made him look smaller too. Or maybe it was just the way he was holding himself. "What do you mean?" Link prompted. He was fairly certain that Kid's grandmother cared about him, as did Aryll, and, well, Linebeck was debatable…

Kid looked up at him, green eyes gleaming. "I mean when I'm doing hero stuff or when I'm not at home which is … all the time now. If I get hit or knocked down, no one's ever there to ask me if I'm okay, like you do, or if they are, it doesn't matter because they need me and everything relies on me, so I have to be okay regardless."

Link didn't know what to say. What  _could_  he say? I'm sorry that the goddesses dumped the world on your shoulders? It could be worse? Link knew for a fact that it couldn't. Throughout his adventure, whenever things had been especially rough, he'd always console himself by thinking,  _'At least I'm not alone.'_  But Kid  _had_  been alone. Despite the glorified versions of his adventures that Kid had spun for him, Link knew that they were worse than his. Kid had to venture through temples and dungeons on his own with little to no support. It was no wonder he felt this way, and Link couldn't help but feel guilty for not noticing it sooner.

Even so, that was in the past, and Kid didn't have to feel that way anymore because he wasn't alone. "I know how you feel. I felt the same way on my adventure." Granted, he'd had more help and less of a right to feel that way, but the fact still remained that he was the only one that could've saved both the realm of light and the realm of twilight from the evil forces conspiring against them, no matter the might of his friends. And, yet, he wouldn't have been able to do it without them. "But now it's different. Me, you, Zelda, and Tetra … we're all doing this together because not one of us can do it alone. So, if something's wrong, you don't have to hide it.  _Please_  don't hide it. Tell me, or tell Zelda, or Tetra, or whoever you think can help, and I guarantee you that they will. …I will. And if you're ever really hurting or scared, you can back out. None of us will judge you for it."

"Tetra would," Kid responded with a hint of regret as if by saying such a thing he was ratting out her harsh tendencies. But Link was already well aware of them.

"She just wants you to think that," Link said. "She really wouldn't."

"You don't know her like I do," Kid mumbled.

"Maybe not, but I do know that she isn't invincible. Things hurt her too, and I may not know exactly what they are, but I know they're there. She wouldn't act the way she does if they weren't."

Kid took this in in silence, his eyes drifting away and growing distant.

"Look, I'm sorry," Link apologized, making sure to catch Kid's eye to show him his sincerity. "On top of … of what I just explained to you, I tend to protect those younger than me. It's just a habit, and if it really offends you, I'll-"

"It doesn't," Kid interjected suddenly. "Not anymore... Before, I didn't realize that was why you… and I don't mind. It's … nice that you care about me, and now that you mention it, I guess it does kind of feel like we're family. It's just…" Kid trailed off, biting his lip as if clamping down on words he knew were unkind.

"Lay off a bit?" Link suggested, knowing fully well how overprotective he could be at times.

Kid gave him a sheepish smile. "Yeah."

"I'll try," he promised. "And I'm sorry that I made you think I thought you were weak. I don't think that at all. I actually think the opposite."

Surprise alighted on his counterpart's face. "Y-You do?"

"Yes, I do," Link replied honestly. Kid, however, didn't look convinced, so he added, "I really do. I wouldn't lie about that."

"Not even to make me feel better?" Kid asked, skeptical.

"Not even to make you feel better," he confirmed. His counterpart absorbed this information with a frown, and Link decided there could only be one explanation for that. "What makes you think you're weak?"

Kid looked away, and Link followed his gaze to the wooden sword he'd cast aside in anger earlier. "You beat me so easily, and you barely had to try."

"Kid … that doesn't-"

"But it does!" Kid insisted, tearing his eyes away from the sword and to Link. The fire in them wasn't as fierce as last time. The anger had burned away. Nothing was left of it but dying embers. Yet, it was still there, its path redirected. "I'm nowhere near as good as you are with a sword." Kid dropped his head and began to toy with the golden bracelet around his left wrist. "And even without a sword you're stronger than me. But I guess that makes sense. I'm not goddess chosen like you are. Not really, 'cause if I was … I wouldn't have had to collect all the pieces of the Triforce of Courage. They would've just given it to me like they did to you."

"That's not true," Link declared, shaking his head as if by doing so he'd be able to get the thought out of his counterpart's head. "This?" He took off his glove and held up his left hand so Kid could plainly see the sacred mark there. "This doesn't mean anything. It's just a mark."

"Actually, Master," Fi said, appearing beside Kid in a burst of lavender light that startled them both. "That is the Triforce of Courage, and it is a vital part of the sacred relic left behind by the goddesses when they departed for the heavens."

"I-I know, Fi, but I was…" He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Leave it to the sword spirit to jump in at the worst time with her facts.

"She's right," Kid said. "It's not just a mark."

"Yeah, she's right," Link admitted reluctantly, letting his hand fall back to his side. "It's not, but it doesn't make you a hero either."

"Master-"

"Fi, dismissed," Link snapped, surprised when she dipped into what he perceived as a small curtsey and disappeared back into the Master Sword on Kid's back. Until now, he'd never taken advantage of Fi's servant attitude. Truthfully, he felt a little guilty for doing so, but he quickly shook it off and turned back to Kid, who was regarding him uncertainly.

"Look, the Triforce of Courage is powerful, but it doesn't give you courage, and it doesn't make you stronger. Yes, I've had it all my life, but it hasn't done anything for me, really. Not until I stepped into the Twilight. All my swordsmanship … that came from years of training. My physical strength? That came from practicing with a sword and being a ranch hand. So you see? You can't compare yourself to me like that. It doesn't work. You're younger than me and you've grown up differently. In fact, you're still growing. Your swordsmanship as it is right now is good.  _Really_  good. Actually, it's scary good considering how little real training you've had.

"And as for the Triforce of Courage, you didn't get it until the very end of your first adventure, and you want to know why?" Kid opened his mouth to reply, but Link didn't let him. "It's because you didn't need it. Think about it. You went through so much to save your sister and then some, and you didn't have that mark on your hand that whole time." Kid's eyes flitted down to rest on the back of his left hand where the Triforce symbol was glowing faintly.

"I guess you're right…" Kid said finally.

"No, I am right," Link corrected him.

Kid cracked a wry smile. "Maybe."

"Definitely," Link countered with unwavering confidence.

Kid let out a small laugh, and Link took that as proof of his victory in the matter.

"Come on," Link said, slipping his glove back on and offering his hand to Kid. "You can help me with monster duty."

"I thought you didn't want me using my arm," Kid pointed out, taking his hand and sliding off of the crate to the floor.

"I don't, but you don't have to use your arm to help me keep a lookout," Link explained as they headed for the ladder.

"Oh yeah, you definitely need another lookout," Kid remarked.

"Why do you say that?" he wondered as he started up the ladder.

"Because something hit the ship earlier."

"Yeah … that was a Gyorg," Link informed him, cresting the ladder. "It was not too happy to be thrown into the air."

"What?"

Link laughed. "You missed good stuff while you were down here."

"What happened?" Kid asked as he began to scale the ladder, slower than Link had on account of his injury.

"I was fishing, and I caught a Gyorg," Link summed up, figuring that his counterpart would be entertained plenty by the pirates recounts of the event when they reached the deck.

"Why were you fishing?" Kid wondered.

"You're not impressed by the catching a sea monster part?" Link asked. In his opinion, it was the best part.

"No, I am, but … why were you fishing in a fishless sea?"

"Because no one told me it was fishless!"

"Really? I thought I did." Kid frowned, then gave him a sheepish smile. "I guess not. Whoops."

"Yeah, whoops." Link agreed, smiling.

When Kid reached the top of the ladder a few seconds later, the two of them made their way out of the stuffy room and above decks where Link relieved Zelda of her temporary position as sea monster slayer, and Kid settled down beside him to help him keep a lookout.

It wasn't long before the task grew dull, causing Kid to ask Link to elucidate on what exactly had happened with the Gyorg earlier. Link could hardly utter a word before the pirates crowded them, eager to enlighten Kid about the momentous event. Of course, each pirate's recollection was slightly different and more far-fetched than the last, but Link could tell that Kid enjoyed the exaggerated versions, so he didn't bother correcting them. He'd tell Kid the real version later if he wanted to hear it.

The squawking of seagulls and the whoosh of the waves seemed to become louder as the tales ended and the pirates drifted back to their own duties, but they were quickly drowned out again as Link requested that Kid inform him of the many wonders and terrors of the Great Sea that he hadn't had the pleasure of encountering yet.

And so Link came to learn of the giant squids called Big Octos with multiple eyes, whose very presence bred whirlpools and stormy skies. He learned about the mysterious traveling merchants, who were essentially Gorons living on rafts, that traded all sorts of treasures from the packs on their backs. He learned of Boko Babas, plant monsters native to Forest Haven, whose seeds could be used to make blue potion in place of the very rare, and therefore difficult to acquire, blue chu jelly. And, of course, he learned of the hidden cave on Pawprint Isle, where ChuChus of all colors resided. With that information came talk of the five different types of ChuChus, some of which could only be defeated with light, and others of which generated electricity as a defense mechanism.

He learned of the Great Sea's ever changing weather, how it could be sunny one minute and storming the next with little to no warning whatsoever. He learned of the enormous black pig on Outset, who had been named Link, after Kid, and Link himself couldn't help but think of Sera and the cat she'd insisted on naming after  _him_ in his own south-set village. He learned that All-Purpose Bait was good for more than just bribing rats out of their holes. It was useful for getting Fishmen to reveal their secrets and for getting Link the Pig to dig in dark soil for buried treasure.

In addition, he learned about Hyoi Pears and their ability to allow a person to control seagulls. As one might expect, he wasn't completely convinced that this magical fruit was real until Kid conducted a demonstration for him, balancing a pear atop his head until it was snatched up by a seagull, which Kid then directed to fly above them and come to land on Link's outstretched arm.

He learned more about the fishermen. About how they hunted down monsters to ensure that the sailors and treasure hunters of the Great Sea remained safe, or at least, safer than they would be otherwise. About how the really skilled ones could preserve the meat of the sea monsters they slayed and sell it to be cooked as a delicacy. Of course, Link wanted to know if Kid had ever tried it, and the boy admitted that he had not, but had heard from many sources that it was, contrary to what one would think, quite delicious.

He then learned of the seven Great Fairies scattered across the sea, most of whose fountains lay deep within conch-shell-like structures on little islets of their own. These very noteworthy fairies, Kid informed him, did not appear very fairy like at all, for they did not possess wings. In fact, they only vaguely resembled humans, their physique feminine, yet very unhuman-like on account of the four spindly arms they sported, not to mention their pupil-less eyes and their shimmering gowns of varying hue that ended in a curled spiral like some stiff ribbon. Yet, despite their appearance, they were very pleasant to be around and had helped Kid on numerous occasions.

As it only seemed fair, Link told Kid about the only Great Fairy he knew, tucked away in the Cave of Ordeals in the far reaches of the Gerudo Desert, scantily clad in little more than a wrap about her waist, her long, sea foam green hair preserving her modesty and her vibrant wings that seemed to be made entirely of rainbows and sprouted from her pale back like flower petals. Of course, Link mentioned her helpfulness as well, occasionally sending fairies to select spirit springs for him and giving him a bottle of her tears, strangely purple, yet a miracle cure-all as far as he knew.

Their talk sufficiently whittled away the next hour and a half, and just before it could turn too serious, Linebeck managed to get his ship working, and they were sailing to Windfall Island once more.

Despite the fact that they were no longer needed on deck, the two heroes chose to stay right where they were, their conversation turning into more of a game to see who could come up with the weirdest person he'd ever met on his travels. They were soon joined by Tetra and Zelda and a select few of the pirates, all of whom had their own tales to tell about oddballs they'd met.

It took about three more hours to reach Windfall by Link's estimate, which was very rough considering he'd been paying more attention to the people talking than the time, and when they arrived, they arrived to a very ticked off Jolene. Suddenly, Link viewed Linebeck's insistence to dock at the actual docking space instead of the back of the island as a smart decision rather than a cowardly one.

"Where were you?!" the she-pirate demanded, staring down Tetra from the beach when the pirate ship came to a halt, though her position made it less like staring down and more like staring up. "We've been waiting for hours!" Behind her, Jolene's crew grumbled amongst themselves as if torn between wanting to back up their captain and not wanting to evoke the wrath of Tetra.

Tetra, for her part, was nonchalant as she leaned on the railing. "I tried to tell you that you couldn't do anything without my money. It's not my fault you didn't listen."

"That doesn't explain why you're late!" Jolene snapped. "The wind kept the entire time so sailing here shouldn't have taken you more than six hours!"

Tetra rolled her eyes. "Do you want supplies or not?"

"Wha-I … yes!" Jolene exclaimed, flustered in her fury.

"Then don't question me," Tetra declared before turning her back on the irate she-pirate.

"Zelda, give me your wallet," Tetra ordered, holding out her hand expectantly.

"Whatever is the matter with me accompanying you?" Zelda inquired, making no moves to grant her counterpart's wishes.

"Well … nothing," Tetra admitted. "I just thought you didn't want to come, but if you do, then let's go."

"Wait, miss! Can't we come too?" Gonzo wanted to know.

"Ugh, fine," Tetra replied reluctantly, "but someone has to stay behind and watch the ship." She looked pointedly at Niko.

"Aw, come on! I never get shore leave!" Niko complained.

"I'll stay," Link spoke up.

Niko beamed. "Thanks, swabbie!"

Link nodded, but he wasn't really doing it for Niko. He was doing it because he wasn't too keen on having to lose his sea legs again. Earlier, he'd learned that getting rid of his sea legs was nearly as difficult as gaining them, and he'd rather not repeat the process more than he had to.

"You do know what staying behind means, don't you?" Tetra checked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Uh … staying on the ship?" Link guessed.

"You're guarding it," Tetra informed him.

"You guys are pirates. I don't think anyone's stupid enough to try to rob you," Link pointed out.

"You'd be surprised, and people are getting stupider nowadays anyhow," Tetra said. "So, stay on the ship and don't leave it unless one of us comes back to take over. Got it?"

"Got it," Link confirmed, though he still found the whole guarding business unnecessary.

Satisfied, Tetra ordered Niko to grab the rope ladder, and Link watched as they left the ship one by one; first Tetra, then Zelda, then the pirates until it was only him, Kid, and Niko left. Link stepped forward to hold the ladder steady for Niko, who thanked him, yet again, for his generosity. With a tinge of guilt, Link smiled and waved away the gratitude, unwilling to admit that he hadn't been thinking of the buck-toothed pirate when he'd made the offer.

"Aren't you going?" Link asked his counterpart after Niko reached the narrow stretch of sand that served as a beach, and Kid didn't make any attempts to follow.

"No," Kid said. "I don't really want to."

Link turned back around, preparing to call down to the others that Kid was staying behind with him, but found that they were too impatient, or rather, Jolene was too impatient, and they were already leaving, arguing amongst themselves.

' _They'll figure it out,'_  Link assured himself as he took up the rope ladder.

"Finally!" Midna's voice startled him so much that he nearly dropped the ladder. "It feels like I've been cooped up in the shadows for ages."

"I thought you liked the shadows," Kid commented as Link finished taking up the rope ladder and set it aside. Personally, Link thought he wouldn't mind being in the shadows. It had to be cooler there than it was out here in the sun.

"Oh, I do," Midna replied, stretching her arms above her head. "It's just that it gets kind of boring sometimes, and I don't get to talk to you guys much. Seriously, do you know how much restraint it took to bite my tongue when Link caught that Gyorg earlier? Or when you were talking about Great Sea things? Or people? Gods, have I met  _people_!"

"Well, you don't have to hold back anymore. What'd you want to say earlier?" Link wondered.

Midna sighed as if he were being particularly moronic, and she didn't have time for it. "It's about being in the moment, Link! If I said the things I wanted to say then,  _now_ , it wouldn't be half as funny."

"Then what do you want to talk about?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk. I want to  _do_  something. I swear that you guys were the only ones that got to do anything as long as we've been here!" Midna exclaimed.

"What do you want to do?" Link felt that their options were pretty limited seeing as they had to stay on the ship.

"How should I know? What's there to do here, Kid?" Midna queried, turning hurriedly to Kid, like if she wasn't entertained soon she'd die of boredom.

"Um … we could play a card game," Kid suggested.

"You light dwellers and your card games make no sense to me," Midna declared. She folded her arms. "What else have you got?"

Kid bit his lip in thought. "Drawing?"

Link actually liked the sound of that. Before he'd become a hero, he'd enjoyed drawing and sketching. Somewhere in his house he had countless sketches of Ordon and even one of Sera's cat. Drawing spoke of peaceful times. Different times, and he welcomed it. Midna, however, shot the proposition down just as she had the last and Kid was left brainstorming once more.

"How about I Spy?" Link spoke up upon noticing that Kid's well of ideas had run dry.

"What are you, five?" Midna wondered.

"And a half," Link replied with mock pride, causing Midna to roll her eyes and Kid to smile. "If you don't want to talk, there's really nothing else to do anyway."

"But there's barely anything around here to see!" Midna protested, gesturing to their dull surroundings. Link couldn't disagree there.

"We could use my sister's telescope to see farther," Kid suggested.

"And I have my Hawkeye," Link added.

"Okay, fine, we'll play your kiddie game," Midna consented. "But I get to go first."

Neither Link nor Kid objected, and the Twilight Princess grabbed the painted telescope out of Kid's hands, claiming that she didn't want to look like an idiot by using Link's Hawkeye.

After peering through the telescope for a few moments, Midna said, "I spy something blue."

"The sky," Link guessed, not even bothering to put on the Hawkeye.

Midna lowered the telescope and handed it back to Kid. "Like I'd pick something so obvious."

"So I guess the ocean is out too?" Link wondered, preparing to take a closer look.

"Yup."

"It's not my shirt, is it?" Kid asked.

"I wasn't even looking at you! Geez, you two are bad at this." Midna huffed, but she was smiling.

"Give us a minute," Link said, putting the Hawkeye on and searching the island for a hint of blue.

Kid beat him to it. "The pots?"

"Not even close."

Directing his gaze away from the blue pottery Kid had drawn his attention to, Link scoured the island for the object Midna had in mind. A few seconds later, he found it, but it wasn't on the island.

"It's the top of Linebeck's ship," Link declared triumphantly, removing the Hawkeye from his face and turning to look at Midna.

"Nope."

"What? But nothing else is blue!" he pointed out.

"You're wrong, wolf boy," Midna replied. "Keep looking."

Link wasn't so sure about that, but he equipped the Hawkeye once more anyway, resuming his search. The island consisted of the same earthy colors. Lots of green, brown, grey and tan. But no blue.

"The flag?" Kid spoke up suddenly.

"Yes!" Midna exclaimed.

"What flag?" Link wondered. He saw some flags on top of buildings but not one of them were blue.

"The one on the top of the lighthouse, where the Ferris wheel is," Kid supplied. Link directed his gaze to the lighthouse and sure enough there was a flag flapping at the very top.

"That's only a third blue!" Link protested.

"So? It's still a blue stripe. It counts. No one ever said whatever we spy has to be one color," Midna returned cheekily. "Anyway, Kid, it's your turn."

"I spy something … white," Kid said, his sister's telescope raised to his eye.

Link turned back to the island, Hawkeye on his face.

"Linebeck's ship?" Link guessed.

"Nope."

"The fence?" Midna wondered.

"No."

"Uh…" Link swept his gaze over the island, trying to pay attention to every detail. As his gaze flew past the blades of grass, Link saw it. "Oh! The flowers."

"Nuh uh."

"Darn, that would've been a good one," Midna remarked.

A few moments passed in searching silence before the Twilight Princess spoke again. "Do you count the buildings as white?"

"Not really."

"Don't tell me it's that stupid flag again," Link said as his eyes landed on the red, white, and blue striped flag on top of the lighthouse.

"Ha ha, no."

"Is it a seagull?" Midna asked, causing Link to direct his own gaze to the sky and pick out one of the wheeling birds.

"No."

"Ugh! Who's the closest?" Midna demanded.

"You were close with your last guess," Kid informed her.

Link gasped. "The clouds!"

"Yes, but which cloud?"

"No! That's not how this works!" Midna objected. "There's a million clouds in the sky. There's no way we're guessing the exact one you had your eyes on."

"There aren't a million," Kid said, smiling knowingly.

"Whatever! They're close enough together!"

"Is it that one?" Link wondered, pointing to a puffy cloud on the right.

"No."

"Don't encourage him!" Midna exclaimed. Link took another guess in response, pointing out a different cloud. It wasn't that he wanted to make Midna mad, but Kid was acting more like himself again, and Link had no intentions of discouraging it. If Kid wanted to act silly, Link was more than happy to let him.

Five guesses later and Link had located the cloud, a wispy puff of a thing to the left.

"About time! Take your turn already!" Midna commanded. "I wanna go again before they come back."

"Relax, we have plenty of time," Link assured her. The others hadn't been gone ten minutes, and considering how wonderfully they got along, they weren't going to be back for a while.

"You two do," Midna shot back bitterly. "I don't."

"Midna, if-"

"Shut up and take your turn before I steal it," Midna ordered. The playfulness had all but left her tone.

Part of him wanted to push the topic. He didn't want her feeling left out, and if hiding in the shadows was such a hindrance to her, he was sure that they could figure out something. Letting the pirates know about her couldn't be so bad. They'd been enamored with Fi. Yet, he supposed that Fi was different. She was an emotionless spirit that exuded light. Midna was a shadow being, which could be very off-putting to relatively normal people, especially in her current form. Still, they never knew until they tried. Midna didn't seem to want to try though, so Link let it go for the time being and slipped the Hawkeye onto his face, scanning the island for something interesting.

He smirked. They were never going to guess this one. "I spy something red."

"The postbox?" Kid guessed.

"No."

"The front of Linebeck's ship?" Midna speculated.

"Nope."

"The uh…" Midna flew a little higher to get a better view. She wasn't gone more than a couple seconds before she shot back down to their level and delivered her answer. "The red stripes on the lighthouse wheelie thingy."

Link smiled. "No."

"You almost laughed! You have to be lying!" Midna accused him.

"I almost laughed because you're close," he informed her.

"Oh! It's the stupid flag!" Kid exclaimed, utilizing the pet name Link had picked for it earlier.

"Yeah, that's it."

"Wow, you would." Midna rolled her eyes. "That's okay. Get ready, boys, because I'm not making this next one easy."

And she didn't. And neither did Kid when it was his turn, nor Link when it was his. As a matter of fact, their little game of I Spy turned into an intense competition to see who could spot the smallest, most insignificant thing. From the black patches on a pig to a bee in the grass, and even a crab that occasionally buried itself in the sand, they used them all.

They were so invested in their game that they nearly didn't notice the others returning from their shopping expedition until they were almost upon them.

As Jolene and her crew loaded supplies onto their heavily decorated vessel, the others began to board the pirate ship, and Midna disappeared into Link's shadow. He almost stopped her, but then thought better of it. Pushing her wouldn't help anything, and if she was ever going to meet the pirates, she had to be pleasant, lest she make the wrong impression.

Though they'd been outside the entire time, Link didn't truly notice how late it was until one of the pirates mentioned dinner. Tetra informed them all while they were eating that they were staying at Windfall until daybreak, for which all of the pirates were ecstatic. The ecstasy dimmed a little when she declared that they were forbidden to go ashore, seeing as they'd already made a mess of the Café Bar while they'd been there earlier, but the pirates seemed to be content to have some time to relax even if they were confined to the ship.

For the pirates, relaxing meant playing card games, and since they had little else to do after running over to Linebeck's ship to inform the sea captain of the departure plan, Link and Kid wound up joining them, though Link chose to observe rather than play like his counterpart. After about ten minutes of watching the game play out, Link was confident that his decision had been the right one. The game made absolutely no sense to him. Still, it was pretty entertaining to watch, in all its spontaneity, and it also gave him a chance to get to know Tetra's crew better.

Just from living with them for a few days, it was obvious to Link that the pirates' relationship with Tetra was an odd one. At times, they seemed like workers and Tetra their boss. At others, they were like a big dysfunctional family, the members' exact roles never quite clear. Tetra could be their mother for all the chiding and ordering around she did, not to mention that any time there was an issue on the ship, it was imperative that her crew notify her of it. However, sometimes the pirates neglected to mention a few things that would land them in deep water, just like sensible, if a bit dishonest and irresponsible, children would.

Tetra could also be considered their little sister with the way they all swarmed to protect her and the earsplitting volume her voice reached whenever she was displeased with them. And when half-empty threats were issued, they knew better than to bother her. Though, sometimes they'd squabble and tease and prank each other like siblings for which more yelling, and sometimes laughing, would ensue.

Finally, Tetra could be viewed as their daughter, if a single daughter could belong to six men, that is. They worried about her just like good guardians should and knew how to detect all the nuances in her mood. When she did become troubled or distant or confused, they'd find a way to comfort her, advise her, make her feel better. Of course, these instances weren't handled as gently as they should be, but it was the thought that counted.

Other than that, though, Link hadn't really learned anything about the pirates as individuals, besides Niko. Now, watching them play a card game of all things, Link could discern unique character traits in each of them, and some he could even name counterparts for. Like Mako. The book that the pirate always had tucked under his arm, as well as the cracked glasses perched on his nose, never went unnoticed by him. However, now Link could plainly see the dagger that was nestled inside the thick volume's weathered pages like a bookmark and Mako's penchant for calculations and facts. It all reminded him heavily of Shad, who shared scarily similar traits, right down to the dagger posing as a bookmark, though Link would admit that Shad's manner of speech was far more proper than Mako's. Still, the similarities were too real for it to be a coincidence.

Then there was Gonzo, who reminded Link of Ashei every time he ended a sentence with "yeah?" which happened quite often. Link didn't know if counterparts could be different genders, but if it were possible, Link was positive that the two of them definitely would be.

It was harder for him to pinpoint possible counterparts for the others. Neither Senza, nor Zuko displayed character traits, or physical traits, that he could match to anyone he knew in Hyrule. Regardless, it was pretty neat to think that two members of the Resistance were pirates in another life, serving the princess of a sunken kingdom, and it made Link feel just a little more comfortable being with them.

Even so, when they all put down their cards and stared intensely at him, Link couldn't help but be a bit unnerved. "What?" he wondered.

"Will you play in the shrimp's place?" Gonzo asked.

"The..." Link looked to his right where Kid sat only to find the young boy with his head resting on his folded arms, eyes closed. His gaze snapped back to Gonzo. "Oh, uh … no. I don't even know how to play."

"You're not supposed to," Mako chimed in.

"Yeah." Gonzo agreed.

"Well, I don't really feel like playing," Link said, keeping his voice low so as not to wake Kid. He started to get up. "I should probably-"

Almost before he could process it, Senza reached over, plucked the cards out of Kid's limp hand, and slapped them face down in front of Link. "Play. It'll ruin the game if you don't."

Link wanted to call him out on it and say it was a lie, but he couldn't. He had no idea what game they were playing so that could very well be true. He heaved a sigh. "What game is this?"

"Mao."

"Huh?" Link knew of very few card games, but what Senza had just said didn't even sound like a word.

"Never heard of it?"

Link shook his head.

"Good, then you don't know the rules."

"Right, so what are the rules?" he asked.

"I can only tell you the first rule, and that's this one."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Link wondered, furrowing his brow.

"It means," Mako spoke up, adjusting his glasses so they sat better on his nose, "that we can't tell you the rules. You have to figure them out for yourself as you play."

Link didn't like the sound of that. "You can't tell me one rule?"

"We just did. That's the rule of the game: Don't discuss the rules of the game, especially with new players," Mako said sagely.

Link frowned, weighing his options. He could get up and take Kid to bed and retire for the night himself like he'd originally been planning to. But if he did that, he risked angering the pirates, and he'd rather not be on uncertain terms with people he had to live with on a ship for an indefinite amount of time. Yet, there was no guarantee that they'd be mad at him for refusing to play with them either.

"He didn't know how to play either when he first came aboard," Senza said, nodding to the dozing Hero of Winds. "And he's won a few times. If he can do it, so can you."

Link knew exactly what Senza was doing, and unfortunately, it was working. He settled back down onto the bench, somewhat against his better judgment. "Fine. I'll play."

The pirates whistled and clapped, loudly proclaiming their approval of his answer, and Link winced, shooting a nervous glance at his counterpart. He knew Kid hadn't been sleeping well lately, and he needed all the rest he could get. Thankfully, the boy's sleep didn't appear to be disturbed by the men's rowdiness.

"End point of order," Gonzo announced once they all settled down. Everyone picked up their cards, and Link followed suit, quickly scanning his cards. Despite their differing written languages, Link found that he could understand which cards were which by simply looking at the pictures, as they were identical to the ones on cards in his world, just with different symbols depicting the numbers and such in the corners. Six of Hearts. King of Spades. Jack of Hearts. Nine of Spades. Four of Hearts. Good hand? Bad hand? Link couldn't tell.

All he knew was that it had been Kid's turn when they'd stopped, which meant it was his move. Only he didn't know what move to make. Tearing his eyes away from the cards in his hand, he looked at the two piles of cards on the table. One face up and one face down, the latter much larger than the former.

"I don't know what to do," Link admitted, looking around the table and hoping to find that one of the pirates were willing to help him out.

"Penalty for talking," Gonzo proclaimed, taking a card off of the face down deck and sliding it over to him.

Link opened his mouth to protest, then closed it upon realizing that arguing would only earn him another penalty. But how was he supposed to figure out what to do if he couldn't talk?

"Penalty for failing to comply with the rules," Gonzo said, giving him another card.

"What rules?!" Link demanded, causing the others to snicker and Tetra's first mate to reward him with another card. Okay, he'd deserved that one.

What he did not deserve was the card that followed it. Link threw up his hands in bewilderment. "Why?" he mouthed at Gonzo. The man only shook his head, chuckling as he declared another penalty and added yet another card to the growing pile before him.

Link shut his mouth, thinking maybe he had to be silent for more than just a couple seconds, but ten seconds later, the pile before him had grown by at least five more cards.

"At this rate we'll have to add another deck," Zuko breathed quietly, causing the other men to laugh. Yet, Gonzo didn't fail to reward him with a penalty card. "Thank you."

Link expected Gonzo to keep handing out cards, divvying the rest of the deck between him and Zuko, but no. He just kept giving cards to him. Then it clicked, and suddenly he couldn't get the words out fast enough. "Thank you!"

The pirates burst out laughing, some exclaiming "Finally!" and "Took you long enough!" All of which were met with penalty cards and the appropriate response.

Manners, of all things, had tripped him up, and Link couldn't help but laugh a little with them as he added all of his penalty cards to his hand.

He now knew two rules, out of however many there were, and unfortunately, neither one of those rules clued him in on what card to put down. Currently, there was an eight of spades on top of what he presumed to be the discard pile.

Link studied the cards in his hand, wishing Kid were awake to help him with it. Surely, he'd give him more hints than the pirates were at the moment. Then again, if Kid were awake, he wouldn't be in this situation.

Movement in his peripheral vision alerted him to the fact that he was about to be dealt another penalty card, and it wasn't in his best interest to add another to his collection. Hurriedly, Link took his best guess and slapped down the nine of spades on top of the eight of spades.

His eyes shot to Gonzo, expecting to be penalized. Gonzo, however, only withdrew his hand from the pile of cards it'd been creeping towards, and nodded at him. A surge of happiness coursed through him. He'd done it!

Despite it no longer being his turn, Link could hardly relax to celebrate his small achievement. He still didn't know how to play, so he devoted his full attention to each person as they took their turn, noting the cards they put down, the words they said that they weren't penalized for, and the actions they made afterwards. To his dismay, many of them earned penalty cards just as he had -not nearly as many, mind you- but enough to convince him that there were rules in place that most of the players were still ignorant to. That, or they just simply didn't care about winning, which he couldn't believe.

It was all terribly confusing no matter how diligently he paid attention, and when Link's turn rolled around again, he nearly earned as many penalty cards as last time. Nonetheless, he refused to quit. Now that he was playing, backing out seemed a cowardly thing to do. He wanted to prove to the pirates, and to himself, that he could figure it out. So he played as well as he knew how, which wasn't very well at all, but he played, and as he did the pirates found a little generosity in their hearts with which to give him hints.

The hints didn't help him nearly as much as they should've, but Link still found himself having fun. As the night wore on, Link forgot all about Ghirahim and monsters and goddesses and destinies. He forgot about heroes and princesses and counterparts and pirates. For the time being, Link was an ordinary person playing a card game with friends, his little brother resting beside him, and nothing felt more right than that.


	17. In the Past

Kid banged his head on the table. He'd thought he was done with this. Done with remembering. Done with mourning. Done with  _missing_.

But apparently not. Apparently that stuff never went away no matter how much time passed. It just needed a reason to come to the surface. And Link had given it a reason.

Actually, Aryll had too a few days ago, bringing up their parents' deaths the way she had, but he hadn't dreamed about them then. He hadn't dreamed about them in years. In fact, he was convinced that he'd forgotten their faces. Yet they'd looked so real to him just now. So  _alive_  that it hurt.

But to hurt him wasn't his subconscious's purpose. At least…not entirely. Not with this. This was a warning. A slap to the face to get him to wake up. And it had worked. In fact, it had worked so well that as soon as he'd awoken, choking back tears, he'd swiftly and quietly extricated himself from the sleeping quarters and relocated to the galley. It was just a room over, barely down the hall, but it was enough to let him get a drink of water and attempt to recollect himself.

But recollecting himself was fairly hard to do when every time he closed his eyes the images of his deceased parents burned, dancing like a candle's flame, behind his eyelids. Though, Kid supposed that was the point. The point of the dream. The point of the remembering. Because he'd forgotten earlier. He'd forgotten all about his theory about why the goddesses took away his parents.

Of course, it was just a theory. He could be wrong. His parents' deaths could have absolutely nothing to do with his destiny. It could've been dumb luck.

But was it also dumb luck that the Hero of Twilight was an orphan? Or that the Hero of Time had been one as well?

Kid wasn't sure, and he didn't know what he needed to be sure. All he knew was that if it was true, if his being a hero really was the reason why his parents were dead, then Link had to stop. Stop caring about him. Stop protecting him. Stop treating him like a younger brother. Because if he didn't, he'd die too.

"Master." Kid raised his head at the sound of Fi's voice. He'd grabbed the Master Sword on his way out of the sleeping quarters, thinking that she could help him somehow. But now that her emotionless voice was ringing in his ears, he knew that was impossible. "I am detecting odd fluctuations in your emotional state. All signs suggest that they are preventing you from obtaining adequate slumber."

' _No duh,'_  Kid thought bitterly, biting his tongue to keep the words from escaping. He didn't want to snap at her. Link had snapped at her earlier, and even if she didn't have emotions, Kid didn't want to treat her that way because whether Fi realized he was being rude or not, _he_  would know.

"Perhaps discussion will correct your emotional state." Kid doubted any discussion with Fi would make him feel better, but he appreciated that she was even trying, seeing as she was an emotionless being and therefore shouldn't have the capability to care. Then again, maybe it wasn't caring. Maybe it was necessity. After all, he couldn't very well play the hero if he was sleep deprived. Still, he decided to let her give it a shot.

"Alright," Kid said, straightening his posture so he was no longer slumped dejectedly on the stool at the island countertop. "Your first master … were his … did he…" Kid expelled the rest of his air and dropped his eyes to his lap, wondering if he really wanted to know. After a few more seconds of fierce contemplation, he decided that what he wanted and didn't want was irrelevant. He  _needed_  to know. "Was he an orphan?"

"Yes." There was no hesitation. No exclamation. No breathy whisper. No grandeur at all. It was everything that ever came out of Fi's mouth: raw, unfiltered fact. It turned his theory into truth, which would've been great, if Kid wanted it to be true.

"Do you have any more inquiries, Master?" Fi intoned.

Kid put his head down on the counter and closed his eyes, willing his head to stop spinning, for his thoughts to lie still. "No."

Fi didn't speak again, and he felt her presence dim. Yet he'd been lying. He had more questions for her about the first hero. Had he been happy? Scared? How old was he when he became a hero? How had he dealt with all the pressure? Had he? What happened to him after his adventures? But then, Kid supposed Fi wouldn't know the answer to the last one. Her consciousness had been sealed away after her first master had completed his quest. Only he hadn't finished it because Ghirahim was _their_  problem now.

It was useless getting angry over that, Kid knew, but it didn't stop him from detesting the first hero just a little bit. If he'd done his job right, Kid wouldn't be in this position right now. He wouldn't have to be a hero. He'd be able to act his age. He would be able to dream about fighting evil rather than actually doing it. Because the real thing wasn't half as fun as a game. In a game, no one got hurt. In a game, nothing was real. The monsters were fake and so was the fear. Any peril dissipated as soon as the game was disbanded.

In reality, peril didn't go away when you wanted it to. People got hurt. Killed. Suddenly, Kid knew that he couldn't blame the first hero for messing up because  _he'd_  messed up. If he'd been faster Greatfish Isle wouldn't have been destroyed. If he hadn't stopped to feel sorry for himself, or baby every little cut and scrape, or seek comfort from anyone willing to give it to him for any amount of time, or sleep off his despair, he would've made it in time. He would've saved the island and everyone on it.

So there. He was just as bad as the first hero. He was a-

"Kid?" Startled, Kid nearly fell off the stool, but a hand shot out to grab his right arm before he could fall completely. Nonetheless, his feet were on the floor now and he was whirling around to address the last person he wanted to see at the moment. "Link. What are you doing up?"

"Uh, I don't know. Fi woke me up and brought me here, so you tell me," Link invited him, fighting back a yawn.

"She…" Kid trailed off, searching for the sword spirit behind Link but not seeing her. She must have already retreated to the Master Sword. So much for loyalty. "I didn't tell her to do that."

"Well, she did it," Link informed him, his gaze resting momentarily on the Master Sword leaning against the stool before returning to him. "And I'm guessing it's because of you, so … what's wrong?"

"Nothing, go back to bed," Kid ordered. He wasn't ready for this right now. His mind was still a mess, roiling with memories he couldn't forget and possible futures he didn't want to come to pass.

Link frowned. "Fi wouldn't have woken me up for nothing."

"She does weird things," Kid pointed out. "I wouldn't put it past her."

Link just stared at him. Even in the darkness, Kid could make out the that's-a-load-of-crap-and-you-know-it expression on his counterpart's face.

Kid did know it. He knew it with all his heart, but he said nothing and stared back at Link, willing him to go away of his own accord because Kid didn't want to push him away. Truthfully, he'd always wondered what it would've been like to have an older sibling. Sometimes he'd longed for it, just so he didn't have to pretend like he was alright all the time, and now that he had it, he didn't want to let it go. Yet, if he didn't, the goddesses would take it away from him. Which was worse?

"Really. What's wrong?" The concern in Link's voice nearly made Kid sick, and he had to wrench his gaze away from the elder boy to keep the sick feeling from leaping to his throat. "Is it your arm?"

It'd be so easy to lie. And even then it wouldn't be a complete lie. His arm  _did_  hurt, but he'd grown used to the way it throbbed with every beat of his heart by now, and anyway, Link couldn't do anything about that. No one could. It had to heal on its own. Plus, lying wouldn't solve anything. Link would continue to care about him, and he couldn't. So Kid gave a barely perceptible shake of his head in response.

"A nightmare?" Link guessed. "You can tell me if it was. I understand. I get them too. Of past adventures, right?"

Kid's eyes widened a little at that. No one understood that, not even Tetra. But then, maybe that's because he'd never told her about it. Or anyone else for that matter. He let everyone else think that he fell asleep in the middle of the day because he was lazy rather than tired because nightmares kept him up at night. He let them think that they couldn't trust him to sleep on the top bunk and not fall because he was clumsy, not because when nightmares gripped his mind they tossed his body around like driftwood in a rough sea.

But Link understood it. He actually understood it because he went through it too! Joy filled him, swelling in his chest and lifting him up like a wave in the ocean. Just before a smile could form, the wave crashed down, taking with it all of his joy and leaving him with nothing. Because nothing was all he could have. No matter what Link did or didn't understand, the fact remained that allowing the older teen to care about him would only lead to his demise. And the Hero of Winds wasn't about to let anyone else die for him.

"Kid? Was it?" Link prompted gently.

Kid had to steady himself by placing a hand on the stool beside him. "No. It wasn't that."

"Then what? Come on, I'm out of guesses. I'm only so smart at two in the morning." It was a joke meant to lighten the mood, but it only made it worse.

Curling his hands into fists, Kid channeled all his anger at the goddesses into his next words, letting them soak in bitterness so they came out soft and low and dangerous and just real enough to be convincing, "I don't want you protecting me anymore."

"What?" Puzzlement and disbelief warred for dominance in his counterpart's tone, and probably on his face too, but Kid wouldn't know. He wasn't looking.

"Stop protecting me," he restated, his voice hard.

"But … you said-"

"That was earlier," Kid snapped, raising his head to meet Link's eye.

"So what changed between now and then?" Link wondered.

"My mind." Kid knew it was cheeky, and it was hardly what Link deserved for choosing to try to help him when returning to bed was a much easier and less stressful task to undertake at this hour. But he needed to be firm with him. Otherwise, there was no way he'd understand. Sure, he'd listen, but he wouldn't understand.

"What changed your mind?" Link asked, seemingly unfazed by Kid's rudeness.

Kid drew in a breath but didn't speak with it. He didn't know how to answer that. Saying it was a dream would only cause his counterpart to dismiss it as nonsense before he had a chance to explain himself. But coming outright and saying it wouldn't work either. Link wasn't even close to figuring it out, so blurting it out now would sound more like a wild notion cooked up by his tired brain than anything.

He decided to go with the only option he saw left. Begging. "Just… you can't protect me anymore, okay? You  _can't_."

"Why can't I?"

"Because," Kid said, dropping his eyes to floor and wishing he had some better way of saying what he had to without sounding like a paranoid little kid, "they'll take you away."

Link's voice was concerned now. "Who?"

"The goddesses," he whispered, as if afraid the golden deities themselves would hear him.

"What makes you say that?"

"They did it before," Kid said. Then, upon noticing Link's lack of comprehension, he added, "My parents. Your parents. The Hero of Time's parents. Even the first hero's. They took them away because they would've stopped us from doing what we had to."

Link was shaking his head even before he'd finished speaking. "Kid, no. That's not true."

"It is!" he insisted, raising his voice and ignoring Link's gesture to lower it. He didn't care if he woke up the whole darn ship. Link needed to listen to him, and if yelling was what it took, so be it. "Why else would both of us be orphans? Why would the hero before us? Or the hero before him?"

"You don't know that the first hero was an orphan," Link refuted.

"Yes, I do! Fi said so." Kid could see the change in Link's eyes as soon as he let this information loose. It was the look of realization, and Kid hoped with all his might that his counterpart had come to the same one as he.

But that wasn't so.

"Just because that's true, doesn't mean what you're proposing is," Link claimed. "Life's complicated. Things hap-"

"Not like that," Kid argued fiercely. Obviously Link wasn't going to convince himself. Kid had to do it for him. "There are no coincidences, and even if there were … four times? You want to tell me that four times is a coincidence? It's not, Link! It's a pattern."

"Okay. Calm down," Link said, his tone rational and nowhere close to panic like it should be as he went to put a hand on Kid's shoulder. Kid took a step back and to the side, decidedly away from his counterpart. Calming down wasn't an option. There was nothing calm about this, except maybe the manner in which the goddesses picked off the hero's loved ones.

Link couldn't see that yet, though. If he did, he would be leaving. He would be agreeing with Kid's verdict and leaving. But he wasn't.

He was talking, and Kid found himself listening against his better judgment. "Pattern or not, it doesn't matter because I'm not going anywhere. The goddesses aren't going to strike me down just because I care about you." Link offered him a small, somewhat-tired smile. "Besides I'm a hero too, you know? I really doubt they'd get rid of me for something like that."

"But if they-"

"They won't," Link assured him. "I'm not stopping you from doing anything. I'm just helping you. What's the harm in that?"

Kid set his jaw. "People who help me get hurt." He hadn't wanted to admit it, but it was true. Tetra had helped him rescue his sister and save the world, and she'd been hurt. King had helped him in his travels, and he'd died in the end. Linebeck had helped him rescue Tetra only to be possessed by Bellum and nearly killed because of Kid's own incompetence. He was supposed to be a hero, yet he couldn't protect those closest to him, so what good was he, really?

"Nothing's going to happen to me," Link said. "I pro-"

"You can't promise that," Kid refuted, his voice strong yet quiet.

"I…" Link sighed heavily, but it was unclear if it was out of exhaustion or resignation. Kid hoped it was the latter. "I guess I can't. But," Kid braced himself for more arguing, "tell me. How many times have you gotten hurt for other people?"

Kid blinked dumbly. "I… That doesn't matter."

"Why not?" Link demanded sternly but not unkindly.

"Because…" Kid trailed off uncertain where his counterpart was going with this. "Because I'm … it's part of what I do. The whole point of it is so others don't get hurt."

"But they do. And that's not always your fault, Kid. Some things just happen and you can't control them no matter how hard you try," Link pointed out. "I would know. I'm in your position too."

He opened his mouth to argue, but his brain didn't give him any words with which to battle with. Because Link was right. He was in the same position.

"Look, I've got your back, and you've got mine, right?" Link asked him.

Kid nodded cautiously.

"So there's nothing to worry about," Link concluded confidently. "I'll be fine, and so will you."

"How do you know that, though?" he wondered.

"Well…I don't," Link admitted. "But I do know that if we're both looking out for each other there's less chance of either of us getting hurt."

"Now you sound like Fi," Kid said wryly.

"No, she'd sound more like this…" Link cleared his throat and then proceeded to speak in a monotone, "Master there is a 95 percent chance that protecting each other will result in less bodily harm."

Kid cracked a smile. "That was pretty good."

"You think so?"

"Mmm hmm." Kid nodded. "But her voice is higher."

"Now you're asking for too much," Link said, feigning annoyance.

"No, I'm not."

"You do it, then," Link challenged him, and Kid immediately shook his head.

"Too tired," he claimed. Though that wasn't entirely true, it did hold some truth. He  _was_  tired.

Picking up the sheathed Master Sword, Kid made to return to bed, but Link blocked his path.

"Are you really okay?"

Kid smiled, pleased to find it was genuine. "Yes, Link. I'm really okay." And he was.

* * *

Tetra's elbow jabbed painfully into his ribs, and Kid jerked upright. Pay attention. Or at least, that's what Kid interpreted it as. It could've also meant  _stay awake_. But if she wanted that, she should've let him in sleep in more.

Since she was positioned on his left side, Kid's only way of expressing this was kicking her. Unfortunately for him, his best friend had been expecting it and moved her leg so that his foot struck the bar of the stool she was sitting on instead.

He grit his teeth against the flash of pain that resulted, and Tetra smirked at his failed retaliation.

No one else seemed to notice their little scuffle, but that was probably because Jolene and her first mate were too busy gloating about the chart on the table and Gonzo was too busy trying to keep up with what they were saying to bother with watching the two of them.

In all honesty, Kid couldn't keep up, which was why it was getting increasingly difficult to remain conscious. The chart itself was interesting in what it stood for, but Jolene wasn't explaining it like she was supposed to be. Instead of warning them of dangers and explaining what the seemingly random symbols and markings meant, she was chattering pridefully through the whole process of creating the chart.

From what Kid could gather, her crew was comprised of experts in different fields, most notably astrology and cartography, but also monster hunting, sailing, and storm predicting. It was because of them that the chart was even possible, which meant that no one else could have possibly figured it out for themselves no matter how hard they tried.

What Kid didn't understand was why the she-pirate had to rub this in their faces. He only figured it out when Tetra lost her patience a few minutes later.

"Ugh! Enough already!" the young pirate captain exclaimed, slamming her hands down on the table and setting the chart aflutter –thus giving Jolene a mini heart attack as it was safe to say she considered the chart her child. "This meeting's so we know what to expect, not to listen to you gloat about how wonderful you are!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you _not_  want to get out of the Great Sea? Because we can easily leave without you," Jolene returned off-handedly.

"Then why haven't you?" Tetra shot back.

"I was trying to uphold our deal, but if you want to break it then-"

"No!"

Jolene smirked victoriously, and Tetra's glare intensified.

"At least tell us where this is at the border," Tetra demanded finally, gesturing to the chart splayed out on the table for their viewing.

For a minute, Kid thought Jolene wouldn't answer, but she did. "Seven-Star Isles."

"You can't get out any other place because the storms are too strong," Jolene's first mate added. If Kid had to guess, this was the storm expert. Then again, he could just be relaying information from the crew member that was a storm expert…

"So there are storms at the border of Seven-Star Isles too?" Tetra wondered.

"Yes, but they're not strong enough to rip a ship apart. At least, they didn't rip  _our_  ship apart," Jolene replied knowingly.

Tetra rapped her fingertips on the edge of the table impatiently. "What else?"

"What makes you think there's anything else to it?" Jolene returned.

Tetra nodded to the chart. "The red line. What's that?" Kid had been wondering that himself. It weaved and looped among what appeared to be a sea of rocks but could have been mini islands as well. It was difficult to tell what the scale was.

"Our path. Follow in our wake and you'll be fine. Don't and either a sea monster or a storm will tear you apart."

"The sea monsters and storms stay away from that area, yeah?" Gonzo inquired.

"For the most part," Jolene confirmed.

"In that case," Tetra said, turning to Kid. "I want you riding with Linebeck." Without a trace of hesitation, he nodded in agreement. He'd been about to suggest the same thing. It was much easier to fight sea monsters with a cannon.

"Ugh." Jolene wrinkled her nose as if she smelled something foul. "Why is that sorry excuse of a man even coming? He's useless."

"His ship has a cannon," Tetra declared.

"And mine has torpedoes," Jolene retorted. "Your point?"

Tetra gritted her teeth. "My  _point_ , is that if we get in a bind, Linebeck's ship is the easiest to battle with. Yours can only shoot from the bow, and mine can only launch projectiles after careful preparation. Linebeck's can shoot from any angle at any time, which is exactly why he'll be following in your wake, and we'll be following in his."

"No way!" Jolene cried, slicing her arm through the air and nearly hitting her scrawny first mate. "Those weren't the terms. If he comes, you keep him far away from me. I don't want to see his ugly face, is that clear?!"

"Do you not get that we'll be in trouble if a sea monster comes along?" Tetra shouted back.

"I don't care about you and your crew or that piece of trash docked on the other side of the island," Jolene spat. "My only concern is myself and my crew, and we can handle ourselves." The she-pirate shook her head to regain her composure, setting her ponytail swaying. Her eyes locked with Tetra's, narrow and deadly, torpedoes in their own right. "Now, either keep him away from me, in the back of the formation, or surrender all hope of ever getting out of the Great Sea alive."

Kid's attention shot to Tetra. The young pirate captain had her dagger half drawn, and Kid could see her thinking. He could see her calculating how quickly she could leap out of her seat and shoot across the table to strike Jolene. He could see her weighing the odds of him or Gonzo being smart, or foolish, enough to swipe the chart. How fast it would take the rest of Jolene's men to arrive and apprehend them. If the three of them would be fast enough to escape the innards of Jolene's ship without being stopped, scatter to their own ships and take off. Then Jolene's inevitable pursuit. A torpedo, two, three. However many it took to take down Tetra's ship and sink them so that Jolene could swing in and reclaim her pride and joy. But that wouldn't happen. Tetra was betting on him using the cannon on Linebeck's ship to take Jolene down before then. Except he wouldn't.

And she knew that.

With an aggravated huff, Tetra shoved her dagger back into its plain sheath with a sharp click and hopped out of her seat. "We leave in five," Tetra declared, her voice hard. "C'mon, you two."

With a parting glare, Gonzo got to his feet as well and fell into step beside his captain.

Kid's gaze lingered on Jolene for an extra beat, taking in her made-up features that were curled into a self-satisfied smirk, before he too slid out of his seat and caught up with Tetra.

His best friend all but stomped with every step she took, and suddenly Kid was very glad that he'd be riding with Linebeck. Tetra in a bad mood was a force to be reckoned with at any time of the day, but mornings, Kid had found, were especially brutal as nothing had yet been done, so everything was game as a torture implement. At least on Linebeck's ship, he'd have a better chance of reclaiming some of the sleep that had been scared away by Tetra's promise to get a bucket of sea water and dump it on him if he didn't get up. And he only knew it had been a promise because he'd misinterpreted it as an empty threat twice before in the past.

The warmth of the rising sun on his skin as he emerged outside chased the memory away, and in no time at all Kid found himself on the beach, parting ways with his companions.

"Remember, we leave in five," Tetra reminded him as he turned to head towards the docks. "And don't forget to change the wind direction so it's in our favor."

"I won't," Kid promised, his hand going to the Wind Waker that was tucked in his belt to ensure it was still there. It was.

"You better not," Tetra glowered before turning and striding away towards her own ship, Gonzo at her heels.

Kid hurried to the other side of the island, noting the ships docked there and easily finding Linebeck's sail-less vessel. Unfortunately boarding it wasn't going to be such a simple task since the gangplank wasn't down.

Drawing in a deep breath, Kid called for Linebeck. It took a good minute of yelling before the sea captain came into view, a mug in his hand and irritated look on his face, though that wasn't too unusual.

"What do you want from me?" Linebeck snapped.

"To get on your ship," Kid stated, unfazed by the man's tone. He was more than used to it by now.

"Why? Did your pirate friends kick you out?"

"No, I-"

"Oh! I get it!" Linebeck exclaimed excitedly. "We're blowing them off to go treasure hunting. I knew you'd come through! Climb aboard and let's set sail!"

"Actually-" Kid's words died in his throat as the man rushed away to lower the gangplank.

Only when he returned and ushered Kid onto the ship, did the Hero of Winds get a chance to make his announcement. "We're all leaving in five minutes to follow Jolene's chart, and Tetra wants me to ride with you because I can work your ship's cannon if we need it."

"Bah! I knew it was too good to be true," Linebeck remarked.

"But…we might find treasure," Kid amended.

"Yeah, yeah. Way to make me feel better," Linebeck mumbled, taking a defeated swig of his drink before turning and striding back inside the bridge. Kid rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet before deciding to follow.

Immediately upon entering the ship, Kid's nose was filled with the unmistakable aroma of coffee. It reminded him of mornings in the Realm of the Ocean King, when he'd had fairies flying with varying degrees of energy around his head and Linebeck grumbling his usual "morning." The sea captain always omitted the word "good" from the phrase "good morning" because odds were that he'd jinx it if he didn't. Now that Kid thought about it, it hadn't done them much good.

"Five minutes, you said?"

Kid shook the memories out of his head and turned his attention to the man who was fussing over the control panel, preparing the ship for their departure. "Yes, but it's probably less than that now."

"Gods above! I haven't even finished eating breakfast yet," Linebeck grumbled to himself, his movements becoming even swifter. "Women are crazy."

Kid's hand unconsciously went to his stomach. He felt the same way. At least about the breakfast part.

Linebeck must have seen the gesture, for he glanced over at him and asked, "What? They don't feed you over there?"

"Well, no. I mean… yes! But…not today," Kid stammered. Tetra had been so insistent that they leave right away for the meeting that breakfast hadn't been mentioned once, and Kid's tired mind hadn't even thought to bring it up.

Linebeck harrumphed, not taking his eyes off of his work. "Figures."

Kid watched his old acquaintance for a few more seconds before remembering that he had a job to do too, empty stomach or no, and walked back outside.

Slipping the white baton out of his belt, Kid closed his eyes and concentrated on the feeling of the sea breeze brushing its wispy fingers encouragingly through his hair.

Slowly, Kid raised his arms, wincing at the pain that resulted in his left one. Tuning it out as best as he could, Kid began to conduct the Wind's Requiem, letting the wind swirl and eddy around him like water, following and attuning itself to his every movement. The motions were like second nature to him by now, guided by the wind's hand as much as it was his own, and by the time he had completed the song, the wind was singing in his ears, begging for guidance. He gave it, swiftly and politely, the pain in his arm forgotten, and the wind obeyed, buffeting him gently as it passed him by and set his green hat flapping behind him.

Kid lowered the baton and slipped it back in his belt. That took care of that.

Stealing a glance towards the other side of the island, Kid could plainly see that both Tetra's and Jolene's ships were a mass of activity, lowering sails and raising anchors. They were nearly ready to move out, which meant he and Linebeck had to be ready too.

Reentering the bridge, Kid's eyes shot to Linebeck. "Ready?"

"No," Linebeck said curtly, puzzling Kid. Setting sail never took more than a minute before. What was the problem now? Unless…

"Is something wrong with your ship?" Kid wondered, concerned just as much as he was curious.

"Not anymore. I fixed the problem with the engine yesterday, but I had to use a spare part to do it, and it's not as good as the one that got destroyed by one of Jolene's torpedoes. Getting a brand new part would be ideal but…" Linebeck didn't finish the thought, and he didn't have to. Kid understood. The Realm of the Ocean King had a shipping yard. The Great Sea did not. At least, not officially. Getting any kind of replacement parts for a ship as technologically advanced as Linebeck's would be difficult if not impossible.

"Can we sail, though?" Kid asked. Tetra would not be happy if they couldn't.

"Sure in about ten minutes," Linebeck replied. "Any earlier and we'll probably stall again."

Kid bit his lip, debating whether he had enough time to run over to Tetra's ship to update her on this new development or not, but there turned out to be no need. A vibration in his adventure pouch startled him, and he swiftly extricated the glowing blue stone from inside, letting it float above his open palm.

"What's the hold up?" Tetra's voice demanded. Even though he couldn't see her, Kid could imagine her in her usual bossy pose, hands on hips and a scowl on her face.

"Linebeck's ship is still kind of damaged from before. We can sail, but we have to wait a few more minutes," he informed her.

The pirate girl made an exasperated noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a scream. "Just getting to the border is going to take the better part of the day, much less crossing it. We have to leave  _now_."

Kid didn't know what to tell her. Thankfully, Linebeck did. "Then go now, princess."

"Don't call me that!" Tetra protested indignantly.

Linebeck ignored her. "We'll catch up with you. My ship's faster anyway."

"Tch. Whatever." The stone dropped into Kid's palm, abruptly cutting off the conversation.

"Can we really catch up?" Kid wondered, skeptical. He knew Linebeck's ship was fast, but so was Tetra's, especially when a favorable wind was blowing.

"Kid, we can catch up and lap them if we wanted to," Linebeck assured him. Then, as an afterthought, he said, "Do we want to?"

Kid smiled at the prospect of it, picturing Tetra's shocked face as they sailed circles around her, but then Jolene's furious face alighted in his mind's eye, and his smile fell. "Probably not a good idea. Jolene would put another torpedo in your ship."

"Blast that woman!" Linebeck swore. "She's all trouble, I'm telling you."

' _And yet, we're following her,'_ Kid thought. Hopefully that wouldn't prove to be a mistake.

* * *

By the time they pulled out of Windfall Island's port, they were fully prepared for the journey ahead. At least, Kid liked to think they were, but maybe that was just his recently filled stomach talking. Either way, they were in their old stations, Kid on lookout duty and Linebeck on steering. Normally, Kid would handle the navigation as well but there was little need for that seeing as they were just going to be following Tetra once they caught up with her. And they caught up with her fairly quickly, just as the sea captain had promised they would.

She didn't so much as acknowledge them, but Kid didn't mind. It was relaxing getting to just stand on the deck of Linebeck's ship with the ocean breeze ruffling his hair and clothes and absolutely no responsibilities. Well, aside from keeping lookout. But other than seagulls milling around the ships, there was nothing to see.

That changed as they drew closer to the border, though, and Kid was forced to be more diligent in his duty as lookout as more and more fins poked out of the water, slicing through it and easily matching their speed. Thanks to the cannon on Linebeck's ship, disposing of the Gyorgs was fairly simple, but from then on Kid was on his toes, hands gripping the cannon's controls in anticipation of another monster attack.

Fortunately, there weren't any more monster sightings until they reached Seven-Star Isles, and even then two Kargarocs weren't much of a threat, especially since they sailed straight past the archipelago.

The border loomed close now, and Kid couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive. The prospect of getting out the Great Sea was exciting, sure, but it was also frightening since it had never, to anyone's knowledge, successfully been done. He supposed that Jolene must have done it at one point since she had the chart but what was stopping her from leading them astray now? She had said earlier that she didn't care about what happened to them. Then again, he couldn't really blame her considering how much trouble they'd all caused her, recently and in the past.

"Stay close!" Tetra called, startling Kid out of his worrying. He looked up at the pirate ship, easily finding the shouting girl. "Single file line from here on out."

That could only mean they were drawing even closer to the end of the world as they knew it. Kid cast his gaze to the water below. Would he be able to tell when they crossed, like the edge of one page and the beginning of another? Or would it be seamless with not so much as a ripple to identify the ocean as unexplored?

It turned out to be a little bit of both. The water grew noticeably darker all at once, as if someone had blown out the sun like it was a candle in a dark room. Directing his gaze upward, Kid was rewarded with a drop of water plunking itself onto his nose.

Then came the downpour.

Kid bolted inside the bridge as fast as he could, miraculously not falling on the slick deck.

"Afraid of a little rain, are you?" Linebeck teased him as he entered, dripping wet.

Kid didn't say anything. He didn't have to because a blinding flash of lightning lit up the entire room just then, followed by a sky shattering boom of thunder that shook him to his core.

Without warning, a huge wave slammed into the ship, causing it to list dangerously to port and Linebeck to curse as he wrestled with the wheel. Kid, for his part, was so caught off guard that he fell, shooting out his left hand to catch himself and having it fold underneath him painfully.

By the time he stopped reeling from the fire in his arm, Linebeck had managed to regain control of his ship and was squinting out the window, trying to see through the rivulets of rain and sea spray running down the glass.

"This is the storm that  _isn't_  supposed to kill us, right?" Linebeck asked, raising his voice over the cacophony of rain pummeling the deck and thunder shaking the sky.

"Apparently," Kid replied, picking himself up from the floor and leaning against the wall in the hopes that that would provide some stability. It didn't.

Out of all the sea storms Kid had ever been in, this had to be the worst, and he'd been in some pretty fierce ones. The only blessing was that he didn't have to be outside this time.

"Can you see?" Kid wondered, walking cautiously over to where Linebeck was and craning his neck as if that would help him see out the viewing window better.

"Can  _you_  see?" Linebeck shot back irritably.

Kid didn't bother replying. He couldn't see. Which meant Linebeck couldn't see. Which meant they were in trouble.

They hadn't hit the pirate ship yet, but if they did then at least it would be comforting to know they were  _there_. At the moment, it was impossible to tell if they were still behind the pirate ship or not and if not, then how could they possibly find their way again?

Kid took out the pirate's charm from his belongings and stared at it, willing it to contact Tetra. Of course nothing happened. She'd never showed him how to activate it. In his hands, it was just a cold, unremarkable stone.

"How long is this storm supposed to last?" Linebeck inquired after at least ten more minutes of rough sailing in which they'd both nearly been thrown to the ground multiple times. It was a wonder they hadn't capsized yet with all the waves battering them from every possible angle.

"No idea." But he wished he did. At least then they'd be able to tell if they'd strayed from their original course.

"You're not much help, are you?" Linebeck grumbled. It was a wonder that Kid could even hear him over the storm raging outside.

Kid shrugged, wincing at the pain in his arm. "Jolene didn't tell us much."

"Then you better start coming up with a plan to get us out of this," Linebeck advised him. "Because at this rate we're sunk. And I don't have another wish to restore this beauty, or us, if that happens."

Kid's grip on the stone tightened. That  _was_  his plan. Contact Tetra and have her guide them out of the storm. Or, at the very least, confirm that they were still on course. But that wasn't going to happen as long as the stone remained lifeless. Which it did.

"Come on, treasure dog! Think!" Linebeck urged him.

He could only shake his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know what we can do."

"You can't do anything with that little wand of yours?"

Kid didn't bother correcting him. "No, it only controls the wind. I can summon cyclones but…that's within the Great Sea. I'm not even sure if it'd work here, and even if it did, it would probably damage your ship."

"I can't believe I'm saying this but…damaged is better than sunk! Do it!" Linebeck ordered him.

Without a word, Kid tugged the Wind Waker free of his belt and began to conduct. Only for nothing to happen. The wind couldn't reach him here. He had to do it outside.

"What's wrong?" Linebeck asked, catching his expression of uneasiness.

Kid shook his head helplessly. "It isn't working."

Linebeck swore.

"Maybe if I go outside I-"

"No, don't go outside," Linebeck protested. Lightning split the sky and thunder boomed its bass line, as if in support of the sea captain's words. "You must have some other tool we can use. Got anything that calls off storms?"

Kid shook his head, then realized that Linebeck couldn't see it since he was concentrating on keeping them alive and said, "No."

He didn't have anything. Weapons were useless against a force of nature such as this. Even the Master Sword wasn't powerful enough to repel it…

Wait. The Master Sword.

"Fi!" Kid called.

Ever the dutiful servant, Fi materialized before him, successfully scaring Linebeck to death.

"What the?!"

"I'll explain later," Kid said hurriedly before turning to Fi. "Dowse for Tetra."

Fi stared into space for a beat before announcing, "Master, I have set Tetra as the dowsing target. Be aware that Zelda and Tetra share the same aura so-"

"Yeah, okay," Kid replied, his eyes hardly on the sword spirit anymore. He knew it was rude to cut her off like that, but he didn't have time for her lectures at the moment. He'd apologize to her later.

"Master?" Linebeck echoed.

"I don't ask her to call me that," Kid informed him, eyes on the blade of the Master Sword which he was pointing straight ahead, towards Tetra. Or, rather, where she should have been.

The lack of a steady shine and pulse from the sword in his hand told him that she wasn't there which meant they had definitely drifted off course.

"Watch it!" Linebeck barked at Kid as he swung the blade a little closer to the sea captain and the ship swayed unsteadily.

"Sorry," he apologized, taking a few careful steps back and moving the sword to the right since the left wasn't producing any results.

The faint lavender glow encasing the blade of the Master Sword intensified, and the sword began to pulse in his grip. Almost.

Kid continued to swing the blade farther to the right, producing an even stronger signal until he lost it again and had to reposition the sword. It took some time to find the spot where the strongest reaction was coming from because he had to fight for balance while trying to keep his arm as steady as possible, but he managed it.

"Tetra's that way," he announced, keeping the Master Sword extended in front of him.

Linebeck stole a quick glance back at him before returning his attention to the angry sea. "Directly that way or is there some distance between us?"

"Uh…" Kid studied the sword in his hand, feeling its imaginary heartbeat. It wasn't fast but it wasn't slow either. "There's some distance."

"Good then we have room to turn and not hit anything, right?"

"Right," Kid agreed, lowering the sword. As far as he could tell, there wasn't anything to hit. That had to be good enough.

"Alright then," Linebeck said, tightening his grip on the wheel. "Hold onto something."

Kid sheathed the Master Sword and latched onto Linebeck's arm.

"Not me!" Linebeck cried, shaking him off.

"There's nothing else to hold onto!" Kid protested.

The sea captain cast his gaze around the room, searching for a something to prove otherwise but ultimately discovering that the young hero was right.

"Fine, then help me turn," Linebeck relented with a huff, taking his right hand off the wheel and taking a step back so Kid could slip in between him and the wheel.

Kid had barely placed his hands on two separate spokes before Linebeck wrenched the wheel to starboard, and the ship listed to such a degree that Kid was sure it was about to flip over. By some miracle, it didn't, and as soon as the floor was level enough that Kid felt comfortable moving around without a solid object to support him, he let go of the wheel and ducked under Linebeck's arm.

Swiftly drawing the Master Sword, Kid dowsed for Tetra once more, satisfied to see that the ship's bow was pointing in the correct direction. It was still off by a few inches, though, so Kid ordered Linebeck to turn a little more. The sea captain complied with the usual amount of grumbling as yet another flash of lightning lit up the bridge and the waves continued to push back against Linebeck's adjustments.

Kid continued to use Fi's dowsing ability and Linebeck continued to fight for control over his own ship as the storm attempted to throw them off course again. It never succeeded for very long, and the two of them managed to stay close enough to Tetra's ship without ramming into it. The only concern now was that Tetra had been blown off course as well, in which case all hope was lost.

Just as Kid was seriously considering it a possibility and contemplating what they could do about it, the waves that had been bashing their frothy heads against the ship quickly calmed and the mist-like fog that the torrential downpour had kicked up dissipated, allowing them to clearly see the pirate ship in front of them.

Sheathing the Master Sword, Kid stepped outside onto the deck. A light drizzle and overcast skies were all that remained of the vicious storm, but even they were fading. Light shuffled down in broad curtains from the heavens, highlighting the blueness of the ocean that stretched out all around them.

"Oi!" A shout drew his attention away from the seemingly endless ocean and to the pirate ship, where he found Tetra standing with her usual air of authority at the stern. "Are you two in one piece?"

"Yes!" Kid returned, briefly wondering if he should mention that they'd gotten separated for a while before thinking better of it. What was the point of bringing it up at all? They'd gotten out alright despite their little predicament. If it needed to be mentioned at all, he'd mention it on the return journey. "Is everyone else okay?"

"Link's a little seasick at the moment, but other than that, yes," Tetra replied, swiping a strand of wet hair out of her eyes. "Make sure you stay in our wake. According to Jolene, we're not in the clear yet."

"Is there supposed to be another storm?" Kid wondered, hoping he was wrong.

"No idea, so stay on your toes." Tetra ordered him. "We're past the border now."

' _Past the border,'_ Kid thought, excitement pushing down his anxieties of the unknown because they had actually made it  _past_ the border! Tetra didn't seem to share his ecstasy. She probably didn't think it was worth celebrating since they hadn't found anything yet, but just getting out of the Great Sea was an accomplishment worth partying a little over in his opinion.

Nonetheless, he promised Tetra that he'd keep an eye out for anything suspicious, and that seemed to be good enough for her, for she disappeared then, probably to yell at someone else, and he returned to gazing out at the ocean, this time in awe.

The Great Sea was vast, but this…this was vaster than vast. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if this ocean bore fish. Invigorated by this thought, Kid hurried to the bow, leaning over to get a closer look at the water.

Unfortunately, the sea spray and the ripples that trailed behind the pirate ship distorted his line of sight, making it impossible to tell if any creatures swam below the surface.

Repositioning himself at the portside railing, Kid peered into the water once more, searching for any sign of life. To his disappointment, there wasn't any, but that didn't stop him from changing sides every few minutes in the hopes that he'd discover a fish. Not a fishman or a mutated monster fish, but a true, honest to the goddesses, fish.

It kept him busy for a while, but eventually he submitted to the fact that there were no fish to be seen, at least from the surface, and took up his usual sentry position at the bow, soaking up the warm sunlight that had replaced the rain.

This, however, turned out to be just as fruitless as his search for fish because, aside from the seas being a little rougher than usual, nothing perilous presented itself.

By the time they reached the archipelago of rock spires that Jolene had a red line weaving through on her precious map an hour or so later, Kid's exhaustion had returned.

' _Just a quick nap,'_  he promised himself, laying down on the sun-dried deck and folding his right arm behind his head as a makeshift pillow. No sooner had he closed his eyes than did the blare of a horn scream in his ears and startle him into snapping upright, frantically looking left and right for the danger. Linebeck wouldn't have sounded the horn for no reason.

Yet, after a minute or so it became apparent that there was no danger. Just their three ships and rock spires floating in an endless expanse of blue.

Sure that it had just been an accident, Kid laid back down. As soon as he did so, the horn sounded again and he shot upright. That one was a little too convenient to be an accident.

He threw a glance over his shoulder towards the bridge, hoping Linebeck would offer an explanation. When he didn't, Kid turned back around and decided to test it. The last one could have just been a coincidence, after all.

Kid made to lay down on deck for the third time, but he was interrupted by the steam ship's horn before he'd completed the action. Definitely not an accident.

Getting to his feet, Kid marched to the bridge and opened the door. Lingering by the doorway, he requested, "Can you please stop doing that?"

"Sure," Linebeck said casually, his eyes on the ocean. "As soon as you stop sleeping on the job."

"I'm tired," Kid announced, hoping it would earn him some sympathy.

"If you wanted to sleep, you should've stayed with your pirate friends."

' _They wouldn't have let me sleep either,'_  he wanted to say, but didn't because he knew it wouldn't make a difference. Instead, he said, "There's nothing out there anyway."

"For now there isn't, but there can be in ten seconds," Linebeck pointed out. "Actually there could be something out there right now, and we don't know it yet because you're here and not out there."

Kid leaned back against the doorway and stole a glance at the ocean. It was just as blue and boring as the last time he'd looked. "I can see fine from here. There's nothing."

"Keep being smart and I'm going to send you back to those pirates."

"How?"

"With the cannon."

Kid laughed. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, you don't think I would?" the man asked him, causing Kid to shake his head. "You're small enough. It wouldn't be hard for me to stuff you in there, aim, and press a button."

"You'd kill me."

"Nah. If all those monsters and demons and whatever else you've fought haven't killed you by now, I don't have a chance."

Kid was silent for a while and Linebeck must have forgotten he was there because five minutes later, he started. "What are you still doing here?"

Kid gave a half shrug.

"Go out there and do your job."

"How did you survive before without me doing this?"

"I was a very lucky guy," Linebeck declared. Kid didn't think that explained anything.

"Actually," Kid said, letting the door close and wandering closer to the sea captain, "how'd you even get in the Realm of the Ocean King in the first place?"

"What do you think? The Ghost Ship," Linebeck huffed.

"Yeah but… were you looking for it like Tetra was or did it find you?" Kid asked. "And what about before? You are from the Great Sea, right? So were you-"

"Oh no. No no no." Linebeck said, shooing Kid towards the door. "You are not getting a story out of me. Go do your job or I really will launch you out of a cannon."

"But-!"

"No."

"Linebeck, why don't you want to tell me?"

"It's a long story."

"We have time."

"You don't know that."

"We  _probably_  have time," he amended.

"See this…this is why I don't like children. All the questions. All the whys and hows," Linebeck grumbled.

Kid frowned. "I'm just curious."

"And that's the problem!" Linebeck exclaimed. "Curiosity killed the cucco as they say."

"Cat," Kid corrected, smiling a little.

"Argh! Smart mouth! That's another reason."

"If you tell me, then I won't fall asleep," Kid promised, his weariness already fading with the prospect of something to do other than stand on deck and search for dangers that didn't exist.

"Hmmph, some deal…" Linebeck mumbled.

Believing that to be the end of it, Kid made to leave, but the sea captain spoke up just as he reached the door. "Fine, then. I'll talk, but you have to stay there in case something does come."

Pleased, Kid nodded, settling down into a sitting position by the door so he'd be more comfortable.

"Okay, so…" Linebeck began, "this might come as a shock to you, but I wasn't always a famous sea captain. Once I was just a humble sailor, sailing the seas for treasure and the like when I could, which… wasn't very often now that I think about it. Life was rough back then. But anyway…I used to spend a lot of my time ferrying supplies from Greatfish over to Windfall with some others."

"Wait, Greatfish Isle?" Kid interrupted, eyes wide in disbelief.

"If you're not going to listen then-"

"No, I am listening!" Kid insisted. "It's just… Greatfish…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know what happened to Greatfish, kid," Linebeck assured him, his tone nonchalant as if he wasn't fully aware of the terrible fate that befell the island. "But this was before that happened."

' _Before you messed up,'_  was what Kid heard, but he stayed silent and allowed Linebeck to continue.

"As I was saying, I would use this ship to ferry supplies from Greatfish over to Windfall with some others. It wasn't a steamship back then, just a regular sailing ship, but she got the job done. Anyway, when the island did get destroyed, I was on a delivery along with a few others so…silver linings, you know?

"After that, I took my ship and went treasure hunting. Eventually, I stumbled upon the Ghost Ship. That creepy fog rolled in and when it cleared, I had no idea where I was. My bearings were all skewed, and it was awful. But shortly after that, I saw another ship. Only when I drew closer did I realize it was being attacked by a monster."

"Was it Jolene's ship?" Kid guessed, recalling similar aspects being in a story Linebeck told him and Ciela before.

"Yes, so you know the rest of the story. In my hurry to get away, I accidentally rammed my ship into the monster and saved the day. We traveled around together for a while, then I stole the chart from her, and she's hated my guts ever since," Linebeck concluded matter-of-factly.

"But why?" Kid wondered.

"What do you mean why?" Linebeck demanded. "I think it's pretty obvious why she hates me."

Kid rephrased his question. "No, I meant why did you steal the chart from her in the first place? You two were friends before then, weren't you? Why throw that away over the chart, especially if you weren't even in the Great Sea anymore?" It seemed like a stupid thing to do in his opinion.

"Look, you don't understand," Linebeck told him. "We were traveling together to try to figure out where we were, and once we found out we were in the Realm of the Ocean King, we started searching for a way to return to the Great Sea. We thought that the Ghost Ship would be our ticket out so we tried to get lost in the fog. Of course that didn't work…

"So we continued to sail around and hunt for treasure while we searched for a different answer. Eventually, Jolene and Joanne and the men they had with them gave up on finding a way back because they'd already known they were taking a risk even before they came upon the Ghost Ship."

"So… they were looking for the Ghost Ship?" Kid wondered, confused.

"No, they ran into it accidentally when they were coming back from beyond the border of the Great Sea."

"Oh…"

"The point is that they didn't want to look for a way out anymore and I did," Linebeck continued. "So I left them in the middle of the night and took the chart with me because I thought that if I did find a way back, then at least Jolene's work wouldn't go to waste. I was doing her a favor, really.

"But of course I never did figure out a better way out than the Ghost Ship, and I couldn't even use that because, you know, it was a cursed ship. Monsters and whatnot. I'm not a fighter, so I resigned to my fate and started treasure hunting. I used the profits to enhance my ship little by little and after a year or two she became a steamship," Linebeck finished proudly.

"Wait, a year or two?" Kid repeated, frowning.

"Yeah, it takes time to build a beauty this nice," Linebeck replied.

As Linebeck went on to explain just how he built his boat, Kid fiercely studied the floor, trying to process this new information. Just how long had Linebeck been in the Realm of the Ocean King?

From what Kid understood, that depended on when the sea captain had stumbled into it, and going off of what Linebeck had just told him, it happened sometime after Greatfish Isle got destroyed. Yet it couldn't be directly afterward because he and Tetra had entered the Realm of the Ocean King a couple months  _after_  his first adventure ended. Even then, they'd only been gone ten minutes, which translated, roughly, to two weeks of Ocean King time.

So what did two  _years_  of Ocean King time translate to?

His head was beginning to hurt, so he gave up on his mental computations and decided to just ask. "Linebeck, how long were you trapped in the Realm of the Ocean King?"

The man took a moment to think and a seed of dread planted itself in Kid's stomach. "Sixteen years, give or take."

Kid couldn't have contained his surprise if he'd tried. "Sixteen  _years_?!"

"Give or take," Linebeck said, as blasé as ever.

For the life of him, Kid couldn't adopt the sea captain's attitude towards it. Sixteen years! That was forever! Well…maybe it wasn't forever, but it was a really long time, especially when one took into account the drastic time difference between the two realms.

The horror must have shown on his face, for Linebeck asked, "What's that look for? I'm fine, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but…" Kid trailed off, too flabbergasted to finish. Linebeck had lost so much time. Except he hadn't. He'd just spent it somewhere else. Which meant... "Tetra and I spent about two weeks in the Realm of the Ocean King," Kid said, dazedly, "so are we really two weeks older than we think we are?"

"Yes, though I can say it doesn't make a difference in your case," Linebeck replied. "You're still short."

The jab at his height didn't faze him. His mind was steel reeling with the knowledge that Linebeck had been stuck in another world for sixteen years and built a life for himself, only to return to his own world to find that little to no time had passed while he'd been gone.

"How are you okay with that?" Kid breathed.

Linebeck shrugged. "I came to terms with it a long time ago and you should too. It's done now, anyway. What's the use in dwelling on it?"

Kid supposed that was true, but couldn't accept it so readily.

"Besides," Linebeck said, catching his expression, "if I'd never gotten stuck there for so long, my ship wouldn't be the best vessel on the seas. It'd still be a boring old sailboat, and it wouldn't feel near as good to brag about. Oh yeah, and we probably wouldn't have met otherwise."

Kid gasped.

"What?" Linebeck wondered, glancing over at him.

"Did you know?" Kid inquired intensely.

"Know what?"

"Who I was?" Kid clarified, leaning forward in his seat on the floor. "Where I was from when you met me?"

"Yes and no," Linebeck admitted. "I had a hunch you were from the Great Sea because of your clothes, but I couldn't be sure because well…I'd heard of you before by way of rumor before I got sucked into the Realm of the Ocean King, and while Jolene and I were still trying to figure out where we were, I brought up that rumor to some people, and no one had any idea what I was talking about…"

"What was the rumor?" Kid wondered, his curiosity pushing away some of the shock from earlier.

"Just that some guy dressed up like the ancient hero was sailing around the sea in a red dragon boat called the King of Red Lions or something," Linebeck explained. "The rumors also said the boat could talk which-"

"Was true," Kid interjected.

"It was?" Linebeck wondered incredulously. "I saw your boat, though. It didn't talk."

"He used to talk," Kid replied wistfully.

"Explain."

"Huh?" He hadn't thought Linebeck was interested in hearing anything that didn't have to do with himself or treasure. The man had certainly never shown any interest in Kid's previous adventures, or life, before so why ask now?

"What?" Linebeck snapped, as if cursing his own curiosity. "You're the only one that can ask to hear people's life stories?"

"Um… no," Kid stammered.

"Then get on with it!" The sea captain ordered, his gaze fixed straight ahead. "I'm not getting any younger here."

And so Kid got on with it. Maybe it was Linebeck's forward demeanor or maybe it was just because he'd explained it once before not too long ago to his counterpart that it hurt less to talk about the deceased king and the boat he'd vacated.

Of course, just talking about the King of Red Lions begged more questions, and for whatever reason, Linebeck was genuinely interested so Kid obliged with the man's new request and summarized his first adventure as well as he could so as not to bore the sea captain with fine details.

When he finished, Linebeck took over, telling him more about his many escapades in the Realm of the Ocean King.

The tales were all entertaining in their own right, and they helped Kid feel just a little bit better about the situation Linebeck was in. Yes, he had been away from the Great Sea for a long time, but in that time he'd discovered a love for engineering, something he wouldn't have found otherwise, and he'd made a name for himself as well. Maybe it hadn't been entirely true, but it had served him well, and he'd been relatively happy despite being stuck in the Realm of the Ocean King.

Kid would have been content to just listen to Linebeck share stories about his life in the Ocean King's world for the rest of the day, but the sea captain eventually got tired of talking and Kid found himself needing to fill in the silence. So he told Linebeck more about Fi and his recent adventures in Hyrule as they continued to sail the day away.

Dusk had long since fallen by the time they dropped anchor, and when Kid emerged on deck into the night air, he was pleased to see an island.

It wasn't very large and its beach was little more than clusters of rock, but it was the first island they'd come across since leaving the Great Sea and that made it interesting.

Kid was so intent on stepping onto the island that he could barely wait until the gangplank was lowered before he disembarked.

"Do you smell treasure here, kid?" Linebeck wondered, misinterpreting the boy's eagerness.

Before he could reply, a shout drew their attention to Tetra, who was just stepping off of her own ship. "There's no treasure here."

"How do you know?" Linebeck shot back testily.

"Jolene said so," Tetra returned.

Personally, Kid didn't recall the she-pirate ever saying such a thing, but then again, he hadn't been the most attentive at their morning meeting. It was entirely possible that Jolene had mentioned this very island and what it did and did not contain, and he had just tuned it out out of a combination of boredom and sleepiness.

Linebeck, though, wasn't convinced. "I don't trust her."

"She got us this far," Tetra countered, coming closer.

"Doesn't matter," Linebeck claimed. "I still don't trust her." He turned to address Kid. "Go on, treasure dog. Get hunting."

"Don't you dare," Tetra glowered, grabbing his arm and pulling him forward, closer to the grove of trees that made up the island's heart. Kid shot her a questioning look and she lowered her voice, giving him one of her signature winks. "Without me."

A smile split his face, and the two of them hurried away from Linebeck's ship. Before they could get too far, a voice stopped them.

"Where are you two going?"

They turned to see the princess regarding them with that icy gaze of hers.

"None of your business," Tetra stated at the same time that Kid said, "Exploring."

"It's much too dark for such things," Princess Zelda remarked.

Tetra activated her pirate's charm in response, casting an instant blue glow around them and causing Kid to jump and pull out his own stone, adding to the ghostly luminescence.

Deciding that the conversation was over, the pirate girl walked on, leaving Kid to catch up with her. Soon the two of them were tromping side by side across the rocks. They were flat and somewhat like steps except they were in disagreement about whether to go up or down so the ground just ended up being uneven, riddled with lips and dips that were bound to trip up the hasty.

Kid and Tetra were careful, though, and it wasn't long before the rock turned to grass beneath their feet and they were entering a copse of trees.

"I thought you said there was no treasure here," Kid commented as they wandered deeper, the blue light making the shadows leap and dance.

"There isn't," Tetra replied, twirling the gossip stone around her wrist so it resembled a bracelet and bounding ahead. "At least not the kind Linebeck would be interested in." She jumped, snagging something from a drooping branch.

Kid moved closer to see what it was and stumbled back when Tetra whirled around and shoved it in his face. He twisted away as it brushed his cheek, and Tetra laughed.

"It's not gonna bite. You bite it," she informed him, holding it out and inviting him to take it.

Furrowing his brow in confusion, Kid took the object out of her hand, taking note of the slightly rough feel of it, and raised it to his mouth. A sweet, nectary smell instantly filled his nose, and he gasped. "Fruit!"

"Uh huh," Tetra said, grabbing another from the tree and biting into it.

Kid followed suit. A burst of juice and sweetness filled his mouth, and he smiled. Fruit was rare. Well, not that rare, but it had become scarce ever since Greatfish Isle got destroyed, and even before then it wasn't all that abundant because it didn't keep well.

Invigorated by that thought, and perhaps also by the fact that he hadn't eaten since lunch, Kid finished off the sweet fruit quickly.

"Come on. Grab as much as you can," Tetra commanded, reaching up to do just that.

"It isn't going to keep," Kid reminded her as he moved to help.

"I  _know_  that," Tetra huffed. "This is for now. Later, we'll get more so we can dry it."

He twisted off a piece of fruit from the tree. "Dry it?"

"Wow, and you call yourself an islander," Tetra scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Kid said nothing, and Tetra continued after a while of fruit picking in silence. "If you cut up the fruit and let the sun dry it out, it keeps for longer. Plus it tastes like candy, kind of."

Kid nodded in understanding, his mouth watering as he thought of candy. It'd been so long since he'd had any.

They continued to free the tree of its fruit until they couldn't hold any more.

"We should've brought something to carry this in," Kid observed, looking down at the round fruits piled precariously in his arms.

"I wanted to check it out first to make sure Jolene wasn't lying," Tetra explained. "We'll bring something next time."

The pair made their way back to the ships with their gossip stones wrapped around their wrists, providing a puddle of cerulean light for them to see by.

When they reached the rocky shore, they found that someone had constructed a fire in their absence and now Jolene and her crew were milling around it, along with quite a few of Tetra's men.

"What have you two got?" Gonzo asked.

"Fruit," Tetra replied. "The little forest back there is filled with it."

"Told you," Jolene said as Tetra's crew exclaimed excitedly over the news.

Tetra rolled her eyes. "Excuse me for not believing you."

She began to pass out the fruit gathered in her arms and Kid did likewise, eyeing the food that was being cooked over the fire.

"So, Jolene," Tetra said once they were all settled around the fire in some way or another and enjoying a late dinner, "what's beyond this island?"

Kid turned expectantly to the she-pirate for her answer, as did everyone else.

"How should I know?" Jolene scoffed. "We've never gotten any farther than this."


	18. Adventure, Ahoy!

On day one everyone was so eager to find something new that the island they'd left became frequently mistaken for a new one.

On day two the island they'd procured fruit from disappeared, and they were left to sail with nothing but the sea.

On day three, Princess Zelda proposed that they continue their training, and Tetra agreed, but only because there was nothing else to do, and perhaps most frustratingly, nothing to see.

On day four, their high hopes dwindled further, and Nudge tried to convince her to turn back. At first, Tetra wouldn't hear of it, but after some arguing with her advisor, she couldn't ignore the fact that they were low on supplies and conceded that if they found nothing tomorrow, they would turn back.

Day five was supposed to be their last day, so day six was never supposed to happen. However, Zuko spotted some debris comprised entirely of wood on the horizon on the fifth day of their great voyage, and despite not knowing what or where it was from, Tetra decided that they would keep sailing and try to trace the wreckage back to its source, because, technically, debris was something.

So they had kept sailing. That alone should have made Tetra happy, or at the very least satisfied, however she could only feel anxious.

Already it was past noon and so far nothing. No more debris. No rocks. No island. No hope.

Except there had to be a _little_  hope left because otherwise they'd be on their way back to the Great Sea right now. Otherwise, Tetra would be thinking about turning the ship around. But she wasn't. Because they had found something yesterday and today they could find more.

At least, that's what she told herself because the truth was that she was too stubborn to quit, even though she knew it may be in hers, and everyone else's, best interest to do so.

There was a demon on the loose, after all, not to mention their food situation. It wasn't the most ideal time for sailing around uncharted seas in the hopes that they'd find a land to call their own. In fact, though she wouldn't admit it out loud, it was the absolute worst time for such an expedition. But maybe that's what would make it successful.

As much as she'd like to kid herself with such delusions, she couldn't. Not completely. Yet, she couldn't let go of them either which was why she was pacing circles in the crow's nest, Zuko's telescope clutched in her right hand, while her thoughts scurried like worried mice around her head.

She'd reviewed the facts a dozen times and not one brought her closer to making a decision.

Sighing, in exasperation, Tetra brought the spyglass to her eye for what must have been the hundredth time that day, peering down into the water. To the left she found Linebeck's steam ship chugging along through the waves. To the right, Jolene's extravagant vessel cut through the water like a dagger. And on the horizon…nothing. Nothing behind them. Nothing in front of them. Nothing-

Her breath hitched. …Something? She hardly dared to think it anything but a mirage cooked up by her desperation.

Hastily zooming in, Tetra cursed as she almost dropped the tool. It seemed to take forever and a day to focus, and when it did, Tetra didn't believe that it truly had.

She stared harder and harder and harder still before she realized that she was looking at an island.

Heart hammering, Tetra adjusted her view, zooming out a bit and sweeping the telescope farther to the left. She didn't have to go far before her sights landed on another island, this one appearing to be a bit larger than the last, though it was hard to tell for sure.

Two islands close together? That was too much to hope for. She had to be dreaming. Except the sticky ocean humidity on her skin and the salty air in her lungs felt all too real for a dream.

Tetra lowered the telescope and shook herself before she could get too excited. Islands weren't what they were looking for. She couldn't build a kingdom on a tiny island or even a group of islands. They were too disconnected.

Still…she raised the spyglass to her eye once more, easily finding the two shapes in the distance. Islands were a start.

She knew that she should go down and inform everyone else, or at the very least, shout "Land ho!" but she couldn't bring herself to do any of that just yet. Once she did that, everyone would want to see, and she wouldn't get another glimpse for quite a while.

So the young pirate captain stayed silent, a feat that would astound anyone who really knew her, and continued to peer through the telescope, fiddling with the settings in an effort to see more than just hazy blobs.

After a few minutes, she'd managed to identify two more islands. All four of them stretched out somewhat methodically along the portside horizon, like sentries guarding something precious.

The very thought sent her on a vain hunt for that precious thing, and it was on this ridiculous mini mission that she noticed something peculiar.

Tetra leaned forward, pressing against the crow's nest's wooden wall that acted as a rail as if that would help her see better. Unfortunately, it didn't, and she was left squinting through the telescope, taking it away from her eye and putting it back again and again and again.

Either it was a large cloud hugging the horizon or it was another island, considerably larger than any she'd ever seen before. It could've also been a mirage, but Tetra didn't like to entertain the thought that she was crazy.

It was much more comforting to believe it was something tangible, rather than imaginary, and as long as it was tangible, getting closer would prove beneficial.

Drinking in one final, selfish look at the series of islands, Tetra alerted the others to the existence of the land with a shout, hurrying down from the crow's nest to direct Senza, who was currently manning the wheel, to turn towards the isles and to return the telescope in her hand to Zuko.

She'd just passed the spyglass off to the pirate lookout when Kid ran up to her, Link and Niko in tow.

"Did you say land?" the Wind Waker asked her, excitement shining in his eyes.

"Yeah, there are some islands a ways out," Tetra informed him, reaching for the compass she usually kept on her and tossing it to him. He caught it easily. "We'll get there faster if you get the wind blowing in the right direction. It'll probably be easier to do in the crow's nest because then you'll be able to see where you're aiming for."

"Right," Kid agreed, scurrying away towards the ladder that led up to the crow's nest. The foot of it was already crowded with most of her crew, eager for a glimpse of a sight of land in nearly a week, but Kid pushed his way through and managed to get to the ladder.

"Oi, oi! Where do you get off thinking you can cut in front, shrimp?" Gonzo protested, grabbing Kid by the arm and yanking him back before he could start climbing.

"Let him go, Gonzo!" Tetra ordered. "I'm sending him up there to change the wind direction." Her first mate obeyed, and Kid hurried up the ladder to join Zuko and Mako in the crow's nest.

"So since we found islands we can drop everything and celebrate, right, Miss?" Niko piped up, his tone hopeful.

Tetra whirled around to address the swabbie. "We're not looking for islands, so no one's getting out of doing work." She made sure her voice was loud enough for the chattering men at the foot of the ladder to hear.

"Ooh bummer for you, swabbie," Niko said, elbowing Link in the side and causing the hero to throw an irritated glare at the small pirate. "Looks like you're not getting a break."

"Tetra, tell me I don't have to listen to him anymore," Link requested.

She raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Why would I do that?"

"Because he's not even working!" Link exclaimed, gesturing in an accusatory manner at Niko.

"Oi! What are you ratting me out for?!" Niko demanded, aghast at his fellow swabbie's betrayal.

Link continued as if Niko hadn't spoken. "He's dumping all of his work on me and cutting up paper." The first part wasn't anything new to her, but the second was.

Tetra leveled a stern look at Niko, causing him to shrink back a little. "What did I tell you about those stupid paper cut outs?" Niko had created paper cut outs detailing their whole first adventure, and probably their second by now as well, and it was excruciatingly embarrassing. She hoped he hadn't shown them to Link.

"Someone has to log our adventures!" Niko claimed. "If I don't, who will?"

"Niko, we have our adventures logged up here," she said, tapping the side of her temple with a finger. "We don't need you scrapbooking them, so stop wasting time and precious paper and start doing your job."

"Yes, Miss Tetra," Niko replied solemnly, turning to go and gesturing for Link to follow him.

The Hero of Twilight stood his ground. "I am  _not_ helping you."

"You have to! Right, Miss Tetra?" Niko immediately looked to her for support.

She was about to agree, but then she glanced at Link's fed up expression and decided that Niko's reign of terror in Link's life had gone on long enough, if only because it was highly likely that if it went on any longer someone would get hurt.

"No, Niko," Tetra said. "You're on your own."

"What? But Miss-"

Tetra held up a hand, silencing Niko's protest instantly. "You're on your own. Go swab the deck."

"Thank you," Link breathed as his former torturer sulked away to do as he was told.

"Yeah, yeah." Tetra waved off his thanks. "Just keep yourself busy for the next few hours, and don't get in anyone's way."

"Is it really going to take that long to reach those islands?" Link wondered.

"Yes, if you haven't noticed by now, sailing takes a while."

The Hero of Twilight stared at the miles of waving blue stretching out before them. "I miss Epona."

"Your horse wouldn't get you far on water," Tetra reminded him.

"No, but she would on land."

"We're not on land."

Link paled a little. "Don't remind me." She wondered if he was still a little sea sick. If he hadn't gotten used to it by now, there was no helping him.

Leaving Link to his own devices, Tetra ordered her crew back to their posts. She paced the deck for a while, overhearing Jolene reprimanding her own lookout about not noticing the islands before Tetra and her crew did. It was somewhat entertaining to listen to for a while, but she quickly tired of it and began to seek out some other form of entertainment.

Occupying herself was harder to do than it should have been which made Tetra suspect that some of Link's antsiness had rubbed off on her.

She was only able to hold out for another hour before she couldn't help but relieve Zuko of his lookout duties once more and settle herself into the crow's nest to wait. Kid joined her, just as eager to see the islands up close as she was.

However, as she'd reminded Link earlier, sailing wasn't a fast means of travel. It was slow and methodic and painfully boring. At least, it was when the waters and weather were calm and you weren't doing anything but watching the horizon and waiting for it to get closer.

She didn't remember dozing off but she must have because she was waking up now to a particularly loud and daring seagull who was perched beside where she was slumped against the post.

Waving it away, Tetra got to her feet and searched for Kid. She found him dozing on the opposite side of the crow's nest and was instantly relieved. He hadn't seen her sleeping. Therefore it had never happened.

Swiping Zuko's telescope up from the floor, Tetra made to check their progress with the tool and was surprised to find that she didn't need it in order to see the islands in the distance. They were considerably closer than they had been before, and by using the spyglass in her hand she could pick out finer details. Green grass and defined edges and some trees, but nothing else. Nothing that explained the debris they'd found.

She moved the spyglass to check the other islands but didn't even get that far. Her gaze had stilled at the sight of another island, a ways past the tiny island she was just looking at.

It was much larger than the others and that made her wonder if it was big enough for their purposes. Unfortunately, when she swept her gaze a little farther to the left, the land gave way to ocean, and she could see by the curve of it that water surrounded the other side of the land as well.

Continuing on to the left, she soon came upon another piece of land. She expected it to stop after she passed her sight over the little island of green she'd spotted before, but it kept going and going and going, and when it did stop, the cliffs rising up at its end suggested that, though the coastline stopped, the land beyond it did not.

Hardly daring to have the thought, Tetra zoomed in as much as she could, trying to see farther. It was hazy so she couldn't be sure, but it didn't look like it stopped. It looked like it kept going.

Tetra yanked the telescope away from her eye and marched over to Kid, kicking him none too gently in the side. "Wake up!"

Kid started, raising himself up on an elbow and sleepily rubbing at one eye. "Huh?"

She yanked him to his feet and all but shoved him in the direction of her discovery.

"What's going on?" he wondered, a little more awake now that he'd been tossed around some.

"Look," she commanded, jabbing a finger towards the mass of land that may or may not be an island.

Kid hastily tugged his sister's telescope free from his belt and raised it to his eye. "What am I looking at?"

Tetra made an exasperated noise. "Past those little islands. It looks like a big island, doesn't it? Wide coastline and all?"

"Uh huh," Kid confirmed.

"But is it an island?" Tetra interrogated him, hoping he could tell because she couldn't. "How much farther does it go?"

Seeming to catch on to what she was getting at, Kid adjusted the settings on the painted telescope, and Tetra raised her own spyglass to her eye once more to take a second look.

The land seemed to stretch on, making up a new horizon, and there may have been mountains in the distance, though she needed a closer view to be sure.

"I don't think it's an island," Kid said slowly, carefully as if saying so could somehow change what they were seeing.

Tetra removed the spyglass from her eye and glanced at Kid. "So…we found it," she said with just as much caution and disbelief in her tone.

"We found it," Kid echoed emotionlessly, as if testing out the words.

Tetra returned her gaze to the horizon as if to assure herself that it was still there. That it wasn't a mirage or a dream but real. And it was.

"We found it!" she repeated, true happiness coloring her tone this time and painting a smile as wide as that miraculous coastline on her face as she turned to Kid.

"We found it!" the Hero of Winds exclaimed in agreement, lowering his telescope and matching her elated expression with his own.

They stood there, grinning at each other from ear-to-ear like idiots, before the reality of it caught up with them, and they couldn't contain their joy any longer. It bubbled up out of them, first in the form of laughter, and then in the form of shouting nonsense to the wind.

No doubt, all of this confused those below, and it was this thought that reminded Tetra that no one else knew yet, and they  _had_  to know, so she chose the quickest route possible down from the crow's nest, which just so happened to involve a rope and lots of air.

Her feet thumped hard on the deck when she landed, but she hardly felt the shock of it. She was too excited, too happy, to feel anything else.

"What is it, Miss?" Gonzo wondered as everyone on deck gravitated towards her. "Another island?"

Tetra shook her head, still smiling. "No, no. It's not, but…I don't know what to call it…it's…it's…" Suddenly Tetra found herself breathless and unable to articulate anything. What was she supposed to call it? A mainland? Her land?

Kid hit the deck and all eyes went to him.  _Their_  land?

"What is it?" the pirates pressed.

"Hyrule!" Kid exclaimed, snapping Tetra out of her brief loss of words.

"It's not Hyrule," she corrected him. "It's going to be New Hyrule!" She had picked out that name a while ago. She wanted to honor the lost kingdom somehow, and this seemed like the best way to do it.

"You're serious?" Mako said, incredulously.

"Yes!" Kid cried, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Go look!" Tetra urged, pointing in the general direction of it and pushing Zuko's telescope at him. "It's over there!"

The news sent everyone scrambling to catch a glimpse of the landmass. Even Link and Zelda were interested.

The disbelief quickly transformed into euphoria so strong that no one knew what to do with it, and soon all the pirates were whooping and hollering and cheering and Kid and Tetra joined them.

The lively seagulls above added their own screeches to the celebration as those on the pirate ship smiled and laughed and screamed and punched the air and jumped up and down and spun around until they were dizzy and fell in heaps on the deck, though that last part was mostly reserved for the youngest members.

It was no surprise that their boisterous celebration attracted the attention of the members of the other two ships so they spent a while explaining what it was they'd found.

"If it wasn't for me, you never would have found it!" Jolene pointed out indignantly after Tetra had informed her that the land belonged to her.

"You're right," Tetra conceded.

"So I should get half!" Jolene claimed.

"You don't need half," Tetra said.

"You don't need any of it!" Obviously, Jolene was still oblivious to her heritage.

"Actually, I do, but I'll let you live there." She broke away from the railing before Jolene could protest.

"Don't you think it is a little early to be saying such things?" Princess Zelda asked her, as icy as always. "You don't know what that land holds just yet."

Tetra barely registered her counterpart's words. She was feeling too good to let anyone ruin it for her and odds were that if she took the time to take Zelda's words into consideration, her joy would disappear.

So she strolled past the princess without a word and grabbed Kid. The two of them ventured out onto the bowsprit, which may not have been the smartest idea when they were both dizzy with elation, but they were both seasoned sailors, and even if they weren't, nothing could touch them. They were the seeds of the future, and the soil they were going to sow was right in front of them. All that was left to do was to get there.

After a few hours of sitting on the bowsprit, talking and munching on dried fruit –for there was no use in conserving it now- the islands she'd spotted in the distance, what seemed like forever ago, were almost close enough to touch.

"Hey, Tetra?"

She threw a glance back, her eyes landing on Link. Unlike Zelda, he was actually happy for them. "What?"

"I smell smoke."

The smile she'd been wearing ever since they discovered the land faltered. Experimentally, Tetra sniffed the air. Nothing but salt hit her nose. "I don't smell anything." She turned to Kid. "Do you?"

He shook his head but looked like he wanted to point out Link's heightened senses. Tetra didn't give him the chance.

"Nice try," she told Link, "but you're not ruining this for us."

"I'm not trying to ruin anything," Link protested. "I'm just saying that that might." He pointed, and Tetra followed his finger to a column of dark grey smoke coughing up from behind an island to their left. Only when they passed the island blocking their view a few seconds later, did she see that the smoke was coming from the land she planned on making her own.

Kid sucked in a breath. "That doesn't look good."

"Maybe…someone's having a bonfire?" Tetra suggested, trying to maintain her optimism.

"More like a forest fire," Link commented.

Tetra shook her head, though it wasn't in denial. "It doesn't matter right now anyway." They had decided to head for a small village that Zuko had spotted on the island beside the mainland first since they were already on a direct course towards it. The fire wasn't their concern.

Right now, their only concern was checking out that village.

Nonetheless, Tetra couldn't help but stare at the clouds of smoke puffing into the sky and be concerned. Why did Link have to point it out?

Seeming to sense that he upset her, Link drifted away from their perch on the bowsprit. Unfortunately, Tetra couldn't stand to stay there much longer herself, and soon left as well, busying herself with the docking preparations and making sure everyone else was informed about what they were doing. She definitely didn't need Jolene deviating from their plan and going exploring on her own.

Before she knew it, the ship had come to a stop and she was strolling off of it and coming face to face with a spearhead.

Tetra recoiled instantly, bumping into Kid who was right behind her. She raised her gaze from the gleaming tip of the spear to see a skinny man with bronzed skin and wild black hair glaring at her. Behind him were at least ten more men of all shapes and sizes, though their skin tones and hair colors didn't vary much, all wielding spears of their own. Stealing a few glances around the dock, Tetra could see that Jolene and her crew, as well as Linebeck, were getting similar treatment.

"Who is your captain?"

The man spoke with a strange accent, and Tetra blinked, taking a moment to process his words.

She straightened in an attempt to regain some of her commanding air. "You're looking at her."

An uncertain expression crossed the man's face, but she couldn't tell if it was because of her answer or how she sounded. Probably both.

"State your business."

"What?"

"State. Your. Business," the man repeated, speaking slower and enunciating each word carefully to drive his order home.

Right. Business. She didn't really have any at the moment, aside from curiosity. "We're traveling…" Tetra began slowly but not for the man's sake. She didn't exactly know what else to say. Fortunately for her, she didn't have to.

"You're pirates," he stated before Tetra could say anything more.

"Yes…" Tetra confirmed tentatively. She glanced back at Kid. "Well, not all of us."

"I'm not a pirate," Link announced as if anyone cared, raising his hand and then pointing at Zelda. "And neither is she, or him." Link pointed to Kid.

"I'm just a humble sea captain!" Linebeck called from his ship, drawing the men's attention away from the pirate ship for a moment.

"And I'm a mermaid!" Joanne cried jovially from Jolene's ship, earning odd looks from almost everyone present.

The urge to scream at them all for being idiots and putting in their two rupees when they clearly weren't needed was only suppressed by her feeling that the strangers wouldn't hesitate to attack if she did that. If these people hadn't thought that they were crazy before, they did now.

"Leave," the man ordered, returning his gaze to Tetra.

"Why?" Tetra demanded, though she did have a pretty good idea after the spontaneous input from her companions.

"We don't feel like being robbed today." The men behind him nodded in agreement, their grips on their weapons tight and facial expressions fierce.

"We're not going to rob you," Tetra replied truthfully, which only earned her another hard look.

"We also don't feel like dying today," a different man piped up.

"We're not going to kill you either." Then, before they could jump to any more conclusions, she added, "And we're also not going to hurt anyone or kidnap anyone."

"Then why are you here?" The man's battle ready stance and expression didn't change.

"Well, I…we…" Tetra snapped her mouth shut. Mentioning that she was here to establish a kingdom and basically take over the entire surrounding area, this village included, probably wouldn't help reassure these people that they meant no harm.

"That's what I thought," the man said, taking her lack of words as confirmation that she'd been lying. "Now be gone, or we will force you to leave." The men closed in, forcing Tetra to back up even farther or else get poked with the tip of a spear.

She gritted her teeth. Out of all the things she expected to find when they landed, it was not this. Not even close. And now she had to deal with it. Except…she couldn't. She didn't know how.

"If I may interject," Princess Zelda spoke up, making her way down the gangplank to stand beside Tetra. "We are but mere travelers who seek to explore the lands outside the sea we hail from."

"And what sea is that?" the man asked, his tone cautious.

"The Great Sea," Zelda said.

"There is no such sea by that name."

Zelda dipped her head regally in acknowledgement. "Yes, we suspected that no one outside of the Great Sea knew of its existence. However, it is quite real. Passage in and out is limited due to the storms that rage at the borders, but once you bypass that hazard, you will come upon the forty-nine islands that make up the Great Sea."

The men were whispering and muttering among themselves now, debating the truth of Zelda's words, though they didn't lower their spears so much as a centimeter.

Finally, the man that seemed to be their spokesperson, said, "We know of a cursed sea, but we can't be certain if we have the same one in mind. From here, how many days out is it and in which direction?"

"It's about a week out from here," Tetra cut in hastily, though it was unneeded because she knew that her counterpart didn't know the answer to this question. "To the Southwest."

The men shared startled expressions with one another. They hadn't expected her to answer correctly, apparently.

"Well, then," the man in charge lowered his spear and so did the rest of them. Tetra sighed inwardly in relief. "We apologize for our hostility, but you still must leave this place. Return to your cursed sea."

"What?!" Tetra exclaimed, outraged now. She took a step closer to the men and Zelda put a hand on her shoulder to calm her, but she shook it off. "Why? We haven't threatened you or anything!"

The men suddenly looked unsure about that. Well, to be fair, she was yelling at them, but that was hardly a threat.

"It is not that we don't…trust you," the man said with difficulty as if he didn't exactly trust her. "It is for your safety more so than anything. Recently, monsters have plagued these waters, and there have been strange happenings in the lands beyond. If you are truly travelers as you claim, I advise you travel elsewhere while you can."

"We can't! Our sea is dying as we speak!" Tetra argued. "That's why we're out here in the first place. To find somewhere else to live."

"You should keep looking," the man suggested. His expression turned somber. "We may join you soon."

Tetra shook her head. No. This wasn't how it was going to go! So what if there were monsters around? That had never stopped her before, and it definitely wasn't going to stop her now. "Look, we've seen our fair share of monsters. I'm sure that whatever's here, we can handle it."

"Our realm's guardian couldn't handle it, and he is a trained warrior," the man said, obviously trying to deter her.

It didn't work. Trained warrior or not, whoever their guardian was wasn't a hero or a reincarnated goddess. "We're not leaving."

"Hmm…suit yourself," the man relented. "Don't expect much hospitality, though. Our fishing hasn't been as successful as it usually is." The men stepped back, allowing them access to the dock.

Tetra hesitated, wondering if they were joking. But the men continued to retreat and the onlookers, worried women and curious children, swarmed them with questions as they stepped off the docks and onto a small grassy island.

"Well, I don't know about you guys," Link said as they all filed off of the ship, "but I feel welcomed."

Kid laughed a little, as did the rest of the pirates, but Tetra remained unsmiling. She whirled around to face her counterpart. "I had that under control, you know!"

"Of course you did," Zelda agreed, her hand fan raised to cover the lower half of her face, no doubt hiding an amused smile. Tetra scowled at her, and the princess lowered her elegant fan to reveal a definitive frown. "If you plan on running a kingdom someday, you are going to have to learn to give some thought before you speak. We were lucky they didn't attack us as soon as you started yelling."

"I do things my way, okay?" Tetra shot back hotly. "If you don't like it, then that's too bad."

"Actually, it's too bad for you," Zelda corrected her. "That attitude won't earn you any trust."

Tetra spat a curse at her counterpart for lack of a better response, which only proved the princess's point further, and turned to join everyone else.

"So what's going on now?" Linebeck wondered, meeting them in the middle of the dock. Surprisingly, Jolene didn't protest against their proximity. She was probably still too stunned about what had just happened to complain.

"We're going to learn more about this village," Tetra announced. "And also the realm. Whatever that means…"

"Sounds like a province thing," Link commented, and Zelda nodded in agreement.

"But I thought that stuff was for countries," Kid spoke up.

"Yes, but not all countries are landlocked like Hyrule," Zelda explained. "It's possible that this village and the surrounding islands are considered to be a part of the larger land nearby."

"Let's go ask around," Tetra suggested.

"Let me ask," Zelda said.

"No way!" She went to run ahead, but Link caught her arm and stopped her.

"Let Zelda ask," Link told her. "You're not the most…delicate when talking to people."

"Yeah I am!" She turned to Kid. "Aren't I?!"

"…You're screaming," Kid pointed out hesitantly.

She twisted out of Link's grip and pushed the Hero of Winds, causing him to stumble back a little. "Jerks! All of you!"

She didn't need them. She could handle talking to people on her own. Stalking off of the docks, Tetra found that all the villagers had dispersed, going back to whatever they were doing before they had arrived.

The only ones that had stuck around were a group of small children, but even they fled with startled gasps when Tetra got close. They had probably witnessed her yelling at everyone and pushing Kid and didn't want to be next. Well, fine. There were plenty of other people to talk to and little kids probably didn't know anything anyway.

She surveyed the area and momentarily forgot what she was doing as her eyes drank in the sight of the village. It was unique, that was for sure. She'd never seen anyone make a home out of an archipelago, but these people had done it.

Small, grassy islands were connected by sturdy wooden bridges, and huts built on stilted platforms acted as houses. There weren't many of them on the scattered islands, but looking past the small isles, Tetra could see that there was a bridge connected to the largest island of the archipelago where more well-crafted huts with brightly colored roofs stood amidst swaying palm trees.

The cawing of an unfamiliar bird drew her attention to the sky, and her eyes became fixated on a mean looking black bird with an elongated mauve neck and equally mauve beak. A pole hung lengthwise from its neck via a rope, and she couldn't even begin to fathom why.

"Whoa," Kid voiced her thoughts, suddenly appearing beside her.

"What kind of bird is that?"

Link's question snapped Tetra out of her awe. "Who cares?" Though she did. "We're supposed to be asking about this village. Come on."

She led the way across a bridge and onto another tiny island without so much as a glance behind her to see who was following, or if anyone was following her for that matter.

The natives were still wary of them, and didn't make it a secret. Furtive glances and flat out stares were shot their way as the large group wandered through the village. But as much as people looked at them, not many were willing to speak to them. In fact, most ignored them outright, but after some searching, Zelda managed to find a narrow-eyed woman that was willing to talk to them. Or, rather, to her.

"Could you tell us more about this village, please?" Zelda inquired politely.

"Well…" the woman began, tucking dark, stringy locks that had fallen into her face behind her ear. Tetra noted that it was rounded and tried to remember if the other villagers had possessed rounded ears as well. She was almost positive that they had. "This is Papuchia Village, and it's a fishing village, though fishing isn't all we do." She hefted the woven basket filled with large green fruits up to her chest, drawing their attention to it. Tetra thought that she'd seen some of those fruits on the palm trees they'd passed earlier. "Oh, and it's also the largest village in the Ocean Realm. That is to say…it's the only village."

That seemed odd. There were more islands, so why not use them? Though, Tetra supposed it could be the same case as with the Great Sea. Only certain islands were habitable.

Zelda didn't ask about that, though. "Can you tell us more about the Ocean Realm? What is it exactly?"

"Hmm, well…it's the realm located at the sea…" Her tone turned apologetic, "I'm sorry. I've never had to explain it before."

"That's alright," Zelda assured the woman. "Are there more realms?"

The woman perked up, perhaps invigorated by a question that she could answer. "Yes, there are five realms in total. The Ocean Realm is one. Then there's the Forest Realm, over there." She shifted the basket in her arms to her hip and pointed out the large land that was separated from Papuchia Village by the sea. She pointed in a different direction, further into the Ocean Realm. "There's the Sand Realm. Beyond that is the Fire Realm." She dropped her hand and readjusted her grip on the basket. "And the Snow Realm is way up to the Northwest, though I've never been to any of those places before, so I couldn't tell you what they're like."

"That is quite alright," Zelda said. "Just one more question, if I may…"

The woman nodded, the shells woven into her hair clacking together. "Go ahead."

"What has been going on as of late? The men we talked to earlier mentioned something about monsters and strange happenings."

"Oh, that." The woman sighed, dropping her eyes to her basket of fruit. "Yes, sea monsters showed up six days ago, and it's been making fishing and just plain sailing in the Ocean Realm dangerous. No one knows for sure what's going on in the other realms, but we know something awful has befallen the Forest Realm. Fires popped up around the same time that the sea monsters began to terrorize us here. Some men tried to take a ship over to see what was going on and if they could maybe help, but it was wrecked by a monster before they could make it."

Well, now they knew where the debris was from. Tetra didn't dare ask whether or not the men that went were alright or not and neither did Zelda.

The woman looked so distraught at this point that Zelda didn't press her luck with another question and thanked the woman for her time before they all distanced themselves from her to review the new information in private.

"I say we check it out," Tetra voted. Based on what that woman had just told them, this place was exactly what they were looking for. The only problem was that it was already inhabited. No one would agree to her taking over if she tried to pave a way with her heritage and asked now for their consent. But the natives would hardly object to her building a kingdom here if she saved them all.

"Didn't you hear what that lady said?" Linebeck interjected. "Sea monsters! With an 's' on the end. And that's only here. They don't even know what's in the other places! "

"Which is exactly why we need to check it out," Tetra argued. "So? Who's in?"

Her crew and Kid gave their support, as she knew they would. Link and Zelda were the real questions, and she looked to them expectantly.

Link shrugged. "I'm in."

All eyes went to the princess, whose gaze was trained on the ground in contemplation. "This is all very suspicious. These people were living peacefully until a few days ago. It may be worth our while to investigate." Zelda raised her head, her eyes finding Tetra's. "I'm in."

"Well, I'm out," Linebeck announced, raising a hand in farewell. "I'll see you crazy people when you get back."

Tetra blocked his escape. "No, you won't. You're coming with us. We need your ship."

"Why?"

Tetra raised her eyebrows. "Why do you think?"

"Cannon," Linebeck answered after taking a moment to think. Tetra nodded, and he cursed. "I should've never let Eddo install that!"

"Shoulda woulda coulda, let's go," Tetra quipped, turning on her heel and strolling towards the docks.

Five minutes later, Tetra, Kid, Linebeck, Link, and Zelda were pulling away from Papuchia Village aboard the S.S. Linebeck. Originally, Tetra was planning on taking her ship as well, but the distance to the Forest Realm wasn't too great, and it would be far faster and less of a hassle to use Linebeck's ship since they didn't have to worry about the wind direction.

Besides, her plan to win over the people of this land wasn't limited to eradicating the evil that was plaguing them. It also entailed helping them on a slightly smaller scale and for this, Tetra had ordered her entire crew to offer any assistance they possibly could to the villagers of Papuchia while the rest of them were off scouting the Forest Realm. It would be nice if Jolene and Joanne and the rest of them would help in that endeavor as well, but the last time she saw them, they were doing their own thing. She was fine with that as long as they didn't do anything to endanger the natives, which was another reason she'd left her pirates behind, to babysit the make-pretend pirates and mermaid.

Of course, her crew had argued, concerned for her safety, but she'd argued back and won like she normally did.

Now she was at the bow of Linebeck's ship with Kid, searching the clear waters for danger. So far, nothing. But then again, they had only just left.

"We never got any answers about those birds," Link piped up, as one the black birds in question glided past them. "Why do they have those things around their necks?"

"I don't know, but I bet that if I used my grappling hook I could latch onto one," Kid theorized, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"What would be the point of that?" Link wondered.

"To fly!" Kid exclaimed happily.

Link laughed. "More like dangle."

"Not if you swing."

"That still wouldn't be flying," Link pointed out.

"It'd be _like_  flying," Kid refuted good-naturedly. "And I'm trying it when we get back."

"Not without me you're not," Tetra protested, elbowing him in the ribs and winking. Flying sounded like fun.

Link shook his head. "You're both crazy."

"Takes one to know one," Tetra returned, shooting Link her craziest smile and Kid did likewise.

Their banter descended into a comfortable silence that remained until Kid spotted something in the water, off the starboard bow.

"Uh…is that a monster?" Kid wondered, beginning to inch back towards the cannon that Linebeck had made sure was ready to use before they left.

Three golden creatures surfaced beside the ship, and both Tetra and the Hero of Winds jumped back, letting out startled gasps. Tetra's hand instinctively went to her dagger, and Kid scrambled for the cannon but was stopped by Zelda who seemed to be trying hard not to laugh.

"Calm yourselves," Zelda said. "They're just dolphins."

"Meaning?" Tetra demanded, wishing her counterpart would stop teasing them and get to the point.

"They are harmless," Princess Zelda explained, moving to the edge of the ship so she had a better view. "Though I've never seen golden ones before."

Tetra relaxed and removed her hand from her weapon, peering down at the sleek, yellow creatures cutting through the water with happy chirps. Kid stepped up to the rail along with Link to get a closer look.

"So they're like big fish?" Kid asked, glancing up at Zelda.

"Well, they are more akin to animals, but they live in the water."

"Neat."

Tetra nodded her agreement, reaching out a hand to try to touch one.

"Tetra!" Link exclaimed.

"What? Zelda said they weren't dangerous," she replied nonchalantly, smiling as one of the dolphins made an effort to reach its nose out towards her hand.

"But falling off the boat is!"

Tetra rolled her eyes, staying right where she was. "I'm not going to fall, and even if I did, I can swim."

Link sighed. "That's not the point."

Tetra ignored him and continued to reach out to the dolphins. After a few minutes, one of the animals leapt out of the water, and Tetra's breath caught in her throat as it bumped her hand.

"Did you see that?!" Tetra exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement as she turned to her companions. "I touched it!"

"I wanna touch one!" Kid fell to his knees beside her, reaching out his hand like she had done.

"I wanna swim with one," Tetra said, still smiling and watching the dolphins, who suddenly ducked under the water and didn't resurface.

"I would not advise swimming at the moment." Something in Zelda's tone made her look up, and her smile fell.

Ships, but not any ships. Pirate ships. Being a pirate herself, Tetra wasn't normally intimidated by such things. However, the heavy artillery that was quite obviously a cannon mounted to the vessels' main masts did a pretty good job of intimidating her. She turned to order Kid to get to the cannon but he was already on his way there.

Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. A bomb shot out from one the three pirate ships approaching them, narrowly missing the S.S. Linebeck and shooting up a geyser of seawater.

"Kid, hurry!" Tetra cried, scrambling away from the railing along with Link and Zelda.

A boom, this time from their own cannon, answered her. She watched the bomb arc in the air and fall onto one of the enemy ships, exploding instantly. Direct hit! But when the smoke cleared, the ship was still floating. The only indication that it had been hit was the gray smoke flying off of it.

Another enemy ship fired, and Kid fired at the bomb. The two explosives met in the air, and the resulting explosion caused them all to flinch and duck a little, though they were in no danger of getting hit.

"Don't let them get that close!" Tetra shouted.

"I'm not trying to!" Kid yelled back, firing at the ship he had already damaged. The bomb hit its mark, but didn't sink it. "I can only hit one thing at a time!"

"Aim for the ships," Link ordered him, and Tetra momentarily tore her eyes off of the enemy vessels to see Link fiddling with a bomb and an arrow. "I'll take care of the bombs."

No sooner had Link spoke, than did two of the three ships fire. Link swore, drawing back his bowstring and letting his hastily put together bomb arrow fly. But it only took care of one of the bombs. The other was still coming and neither Link nor Kid were ready to fire again.

A ball of fire suddenly rocketed towards the wayward bomb, activating it before it could crash down onto the deck of the S.S. Linebeck. All eyes turned to Zelda.

"I'll help with the bombs," the princess stated. Link and Kid nodded, relieved, but Tetra could only ball up her fists in anger. If her counterpart had bothered teaching her that stupid fire spell, she could be helping too right now.

Instead, she was forced to watch as her companions exchanged projectiles with the pirate ships and cringe whenever they were too slow to get the bombs to explode farther away from the S.S. Linebeck, which was often.

As hectic as the battle was with all the flashing bombs, fiery explosions, smoke, and occasional bursts of sea spray, it was going well. At least, it was until the smoking enemy ships decided to fire in unison.

Having three bombs hurtling towards them at once sent Tetra's heart racing. If even one of her companions missed, there would be no second chances.

Knowing this, Link called out when he was shooting to ensure no one else wasted their shot before letting his bomb arrow fly. It met one of the bombs, igniting it instantly.

Following his lead, Zelda spoke up before she sent a sphere of fire loose, striking down another bomb.

Kid didn't have to call his shot. They all knew the last bomb was his to destroy. The boom of the cannon rumbled in Tetra's chest as Kid fired, and she watched the freshly-fired bomb sail through the air, anticipating the brilliant explosion when it met with the incoming explosive. But it never came.

Because Kid missed.

Barely thinking, Tetra threw out a hand towards the too-fast-falling enemy bomb and wrenched up her magic from within her so quickly that she felt sick. A circular crystalline blue shield popped into being, hovering above the ship's stern, and she barely had time to brace herself, imagining a sturdy stone wall, before it struck.

The bomb plowed through her shield like it was glass and crashed into the S.S. Linebeck with a brilliant burst of fire, violently rocking the ship and turning the white smoke puffing out of the ship's pipe, grey.

"You can't account for the force of an explosion!" Zelda exclaimed in a reprimanding manner as Linebeck shouted something at them about doing a better job. "Why do you think I didn't shield us before?"

"Well, excuse me! Someone didn't teach me any other spells, so I'm using what I got!" Tetra shot back, her anger so hot that she barely registered the coldness of the magic loss.

The booming of a cannon was her only answer as Zelda returned her attention to the battle.

Begrudgingly, Tetra did likewise, loathing the fact that she couldn't offer any assistance. Fortunately her assistance wasn't needed and her companions managed to end the battle a few tense minutes later.

"Now I know why the people at Papuchia didn't really trust us," Link said as they all watched the last of the pirate ships sink into the water. "Those pirates were mean."

"Do you think…they were people?" Kid asked timidly, as if he didn't want to entertain the thought. Tetra didn't much like the idea herself, but…

"They attacked us first," she pointed out. "So if they were, they brought it upon themselves."

"I do not believe humans were controlling those ships," Zelda announced. "We were told that monsters have been plaguing this place recently, so it's entirely possible that monsters hijacked those ships."

"But the people at the village only mentioned sea monsters," Link interjected.

"And we haven't even seen any sea monsters yet," Kid added. They all couldn't help but agree with that.

Of course, that changed about ten minutes later.

"Octoroks!" Tetra and Kid exclaimed in unison, not so much because it excited them, but because it was something familiar.

"Do you think they're the exploding kind?" Kid asked her, backing away towards the cannon.

"Let's not find out," she returned. The tentacle monsters' bodies were red, while their bulbous mantles had a sickly greenish tinge to them, but other than that, they appeared to be nearly identical to the Octoroks that inhabited the Great Sea.

Fortunately for them, these oddly-colored Octoroks were not, in fact, "the exploding kind." Their projectiles were rocks. Of course, being hit by a rock was better than being hit by a bomb, but they all agreed that it was in their best interest to not get hit at all, especially since Linebeck was already fuming about the damage that his ship had sustained in the skirmish earlier, so Kid and Link teamed up to eradicate the five Octoroks that had popped up to torment them.

Unlike the pirate ships that may or may not have been controlled by monsters, the Octoroks were much less durable and could be defeated by one well-fired bomb or arrow, each.

It wasn't long after they managed to get rid of the sea monsters that they reached the modest little dock that was built at the edge of the Forest Realm. No ships bobbed in the water besides theirs.

"Alright, all of you get off," Linebeck ordered, shooing them off of his ship. "I need to do some repairs now because _someone_ didn't do their job right." He looked pointedly at the Hero of Winds.

Kid winced. "Sorry."

"It wasn't his fault," Tetra said, her eyes on the princess. Zelda promptly ignored her.

Linebeck harrumphed, turning his attention back to his precious ship. The four of them, five if one included Midna and six if one included Fi, stepped off of the S. S. Linebeck and strolled to the end of the dock with Tetra in the lead.

Setting foot on the grass, Tetra couldn't help but forget her enmity towards Zelda and smile a little. It was land, a lot of it, and it was going to be hers. Sneaking a glance at Kid as they continued to walk, Tetra saw that he was smiling now, too.

"Monster infestation aside, you have to admit this place is awesome," Tetra spoke up, stretching her arms above her head.

"If what that lady in Papuchia told us is true, we've barely seen any of it," Link reminded her, which only served to improve her mood. The little she'd seen so far was greater than she'd imagined and that meant it could only get better.

"Speaking of, we should have requested a map," Zelda said before Tetra could voice her thoughts.

Tetra rolled her eyes at her counterpart's interruption. "Who needs maps when you have smoke?" Even from this distance, their destination was quite obvious.

Zelda began to protest, explaining the exact benefits having a map would grant them, but Tetra wasn't in the mood to listen to her counterpart's logic right now.

"Race?" she asked, shooting Kid a sly look.

"Race!" he agreed.

They took off across the grass, leaving their startled counterparts in the dust. Tetra couldn't help but feel satisfied as she ran. She didn't care about the blades of grass tickling her feet or the dirt working its way into her sandals. It meant that it was real. It meant that they had found what they'd been looking for and didn't have to look anymore. It meant she was home.

Tetra increased her pace, and Kid matched it. She glanced at her best friend, catching the elated expression on his face, and knew that neither of them were going to stop until they couldn't run anymore. For once, their stamina would run out before the land did.

The two of them slowed as they hit a hill, but they didn't stop and collapse until they had reached the top of it. Breathing heavily, the two of them sprawled out on the ground, grinning up at the sky. A flock of little white birds flew by overhead.

"Tired already?" Midna's voice startled them both, and Tetra thought that she should really be expecting the Twilight Princess's spontaneous entrances by now. "Come on! Get up! There's still a long way to go, and isn't the point of a race to get there fast?"

"We're…taking a break," Tetra panted.

"And we need to…. wait for Link and Zelda…to catch up," Kid chimed in, just as breathless as she was.

"You don't wait for the competition. Go, go, go!" Midna urged, hovering over them in her shadowy form, turning the sky dark.

"I wasn't being serious about the race," Tetra informed the Twili, sitting up and forcing Midna to retreat. The race had just been an excuse to get away from her counterpart's nagging for a while. "Stop rushing us."

Midna giggled. "Well, if you want to get there and back before the sun goes down, I suggest you hurry. Not that I mind twilight, but well…"

Tetra looked past Midna to the wisps of smoke rising up in the distance. In total darkness, it would be difficult to see, but it was more than that. It was so far away! Miles of rolling green fields and trees laden with red and orange tinted leaves separated them from it, and that was only as far as she could see.

She glanced over her shoulder, checking their companions' progress. They were still pretty close to the dock and slowly making their way over. Tetra frowned. They were probably doing it on purpose.

"Wow," Kid breathed, drawing her attention to him. He was gazing at the distance they still had to go. "I don't think we're going to make that before dark."

"Not unless you run," Midna piped up helpfully. "Fast."

"I don't want to run anymore," Kid whined, and Tetra couldn't help but agree. There had to be a better way to get there than on foot. But when she cast her gaze around, all she saw was grass and trees. To their right, mountains were visible, as well as a tower of some sort.

"Look at that," she said, pointing to the tall structure. What did buildings need to be that tall for anyway?

"I wonder what it's used for," Midna mused.

Kid took out his sister's telescope and peered through it, trying to get a better look.

"So?" Tetra asked him after a few seconds had passed in silence.

Kid shrugged, handing the telescope to her. "It just looks like a big tower. The top has some kind of symbol on it, but it's not one that I recognize."

Tetra raised the spyglass to her eye and focused her line of sight at the peak of the tower where she found a symbol that was somewhat similar to the Hylian crest. It appeared to be depicting a bird of some sort, just like the crest she knew did, except the wings were stubbier and less defined and an inverted triangle was situated in place of the Triforce.

She lowered the telescope and returned it to Kid. The symbol was likely just something the people of this land used to identify themselves. It was nothing to worry about.

At least, that's what she told herself as she waited with Midna and Kid for their companions to catch up because if she allowed herself to think that that tower and the symbol at its peak was significant, then she may begin to assume that there was a ruler of this land. And if there was a ruler, then all her plans were ruined. Therefore, Tetra decided, it was better to not entertain the idea. So she didn't.

"You guys are so slow!" Tetra complained, a hand planted firmly on her hip as Link and Zelda climbed up the slight grassy incline.

"You guys were the ones that ran ahead," Link reminded her. His tone suddenly turned admonishing. "And you really shouldn't have done that considering that we don't even know what we're dealing with here."

Tetra rolled her eyes. Link seemed to make it his mission to constantly forget that they could handle themselves. "You worry too much."

"You don't worry enough," Link accused her, cresting the hill and coming to a stop in front of her.

"I agree," Zelda piped up from behind him.

"No one asked you," Tetra spat at her counterpart. She turned her back on the pair and locked her sights on the smoke that was their guide. "Let's go."

"Wait…that's really far," Link protested as she took a step forward.

"Which is why we have to get moving," Tetra declared, satisfied when Kid fell into step beside her. "Come on. You've slowed us down enough already."

"Perhaps we should delay this venture until tomorrow," Zelda suggested. "It will be dark soon, and we do not have the supplies to camp or find our way forward when that happens."

Her counterpart was just being practical, but Tetra wasn't in the mood for it. Princess Zelda had won too much today -been born with too much- and Tetra wouldn't allow her have anything else.

"You don't have to follow us," Tetra said, throwing a careless glance back at the hero and princess. "You're welcome to go back and wait for us with Linebeck."

She wished that they would so that she and Kid could explore their new home without them, but of course they didn't. Kid didn't seem to mind this as much as she did, so after a few minutes of attempting to coerce Link and Zelda to turn back by themselves, she gave up, and they traveled in silence.

Tetra didn't recall walking being so tedious but after an hour even she was having difficulty refraining from complaining. Yes, the land was huge and new and wonderful, but ankle deep grass, copses of trees with lush boughs, and the occasional rock could only be so intriguing for so long. She kind of wished that monsters would show up, just so she'd have something to do besides walk.

Glancing at the rest of her companions, Tetra concluded that they were equally fed up with the trek, though she suspected the reasons for that varied.

The only one among them that didn't seem to mind was Midna. Ever since she'd popped out of the shadows on the hill they'd stopped to rest on, she hadn't gone back. The Twilight Princess had been content to fly beside them and around them when they weren't moving fast enough for her liking. Tetra couldn't really blame her. She had cooped herself up in the shadows for a long time, and even though she had emerged outside of them in Tetra's cabin, there hadn't been any space to really stretch her limbs.

The fresh, not so salty, air out here was refreshing, as well as the breeze that ruffled the grasses and tree tops around them. Even so, Tetra decided that when this place was hers, she'd find a better way of getting around. Walking such distances was ridiculous.

Perhaps it was this thought that caused her to look around for a better mode of transportation than her own two feet. Perhaps it was boredom. Whatever it was, it guided her eyes over the rolling plains stretched out before them until they landed on animals grazing in the distance.

Snatching Kid's telescope out of his hand and ignoring his resulting protests, Tetra put the tool to her eye to take a better look. What she saw pleased her, and she came to a halt, causing her companions to stop as well.

"Hey, Link," Tetra said, lowering the telescope and tossing it back to Kid who caught it and instantly put it away, probably to prevent her from stealing it again. "You said you missed Epona, right?"

"Yeah?" Link responded, his cautious tone suggesting that he didn't like where this was going even though he didn't know what "this" was just yet.

"There are horses over there," she announced, pointing towards the animals in the distance and effectively drawing everyone's attention to them. "Get us two."

Link didn't even take a moment to think about it. "No."

She dropped her arm and turned to Link. "As the ruler of this land, I order you to get us better transportation," Tetra declared with such finality that any one of her crew wouldn't dare argue. But Link wasn't one of her crew.

"It's not even your land yet!"

"I'm practicing," she claimed, head held high in an attempt to imitate that regal manner Zelda employed so often when speaking.

Midna laughed. "Humor the girl, won't you, Link?"

"No way."

"Why not?" Tetra demanded, dropping her attempt at regality and defaulting to her usual bossy stance. "You're a ranch hand, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I herd goats, not horses," Link explained.

"You ride a horse to herd goats, do you not?"

"Yeah, a _trained_  horse!" Link exclaimed. "Those," he threw a hand in the direction of the horses, "aren't trained. They're wild. They're not going to listen to me."

"Why don't I turn you into a wolf and you can convince two of those horses to come with us?" Midna suggested.

"That would only scare them away."

"Your wolf form didn't scare away Epona," Midna pointed out.

"Again, _trained_  horse," Link stressed.

Tetra sighed in exasperation. "At least try. Taming a horse can't be too hard."

"Oh, really?" Link returned sarcastically. "Would you like to try?"

"Well, if you're not going to then sure." She took a defiant step in the direction of the horses, and Link instantly caught her arm and pulled her back as she knew he would.

"That was a rhetorical question," Link informed her. She shrugged him off, crossing her arms over her chest and regarding him expectantly.

"If you could manage to obtain horses for us it would be beneficial," Zelda spoke up after almost a minute of fierce staring between the young pirate captain and teenage hero. "It's doubtful we would reach our destination before the sun sets without them."

Link broke eye contact with Tetra, breathing out a heavy sigh full of reluctance. "Fine. I'll try."

Fifteen minutes later, Tetra, Kid, Zelda, and Midna, because she refused to go back into the shadows, were situated a good distance away from the grazing horses, crouched low in a particularly tall patch of grass so that there was less chance of them being noticed as per Link's request.

Link himself was currently slinking up to one of the oblivious animals, and as Tetra watched, she could understand Link's reluctance a bit more. The horses were much bigger up close and none of them were wearing any riding equipment. Just mounting one would be a challenge.

They all watched with bated breath as Link crept up to a mud-colored horse from its left side. If he was trying to keep it from seeing him, he failed. The animal immediately stopped eating and tossed its head, trotting away. Some of the other grazing horses followed the mud-colored one, but a few stayed where they were, and those were the horses Link turned to.

As Link began to approach a sand-colored horse much the same way he had the previous, Tetra decided that Link had no idea what he was doing despite being a ranch hand. Fortunately, she was wrong, and though Tetra didn't like being wrong, she was glad she was in this instance.

Unlike the other horse, this one didn't move away when it caught sight of Link. It allowed him to inch closer and closer until an arm's length separated them. Link stretched out his left hand towards the horse, and the animal sniffed it curiously. Taking this as an invitation, Link stepped even closer to the horse and placed his right hand on the side of its head.

When it didn't object, he began to pet it and murmur something to it, but Tetra was too far away to hear what he was saying. She didn't know how long he kept it up, but he continued stroking and talking to the animal until her legs were cramping, and she couldn't help but shift into a more comfortable position.

Shortly thereafter, Link moved towards the horse's neck and back. He placed both hands on its back, close to its neck, and Tetra thought he was going to mount it, but no. He just jumped a little. It wasn't even a half-hearted attempt at mounting the thing so Tetra could only assume that that wasn't his intention.

Link glanced at the horse's head, judging its reaction. She wasn't close enough to tell for sure, but from where she was peeking out of the tall grass, it didn't seem phased.

Nonetheless, Link repeated the action on slightly different parts of its back and neck, before going back to petting the animal. The entire process was taking way too long, but Tetra tried to silently coach herself into patience. After Link caught the horses everything else would be a breeze.

She tore her attention away from the position of the sun in the sky and refocused it on the Hero of Twilight. Much to her delight, Link seemed to be done with his testing the waters phase and was preparing to mount the horse for real.

Positioning himself by the animal's head, Link grasped part of the hairs at its neck and swung himself onto its back in one smooth motion. No sooner than had he landed on the horse, did it bolt.

A collective gasp rustled the grasses they were hiding in as they watched the animal race away with Link clinging to its bare back. The horse tried to throw the hero off with sharp turns and, when that failed, pure speed, but Link managed to stay on through it all.

That's when the animal came up with another idea. It ground to a halt and bucked. As impressive as Link's horse-riding skills were, they weren't enough to keep him on the horse this time. He flew off of the horse's back and hit the ground hard on his side, causing Tetra to cringe.

Kid jumped up, but Tetra tugged him back down and began to count. One. Two. Three. Four. Link had told them that if got knocked off and didn't get up after thirty seconds, then they could intervene. Otherwise, they were to stay away and out of sight. Just as she reached ten, Link rolled over and got to his knees.

As he got to his feet, they all let out relieved sighs.

To Tetra's surprise, Link approached the sand-colored horse once more, apparently unconcerned about being bucked off again. He restarted the painstaking process of familiarizing himself with it, and if Tetra hadn't been concerned about spooking it, she would have screamed.

Eventually, Link decided it was safe to try to mount the horse again and with a little skip and hop he was situated on its back once more. It danced a little in place, making Tetra think it was going to bolt again, but Link repositioned himself and patted its neck, calming it.

"He did it," Kid said happily as Link got the horse moving in their direction.

"He still has to catch one more," Tetra reminded Kid. If Link didn't get two, he might as well have not gotten one.

As Link drew closer with the horse, he motioned them to stand with a hand and they did, slowly so as not to startle the horse. Of course, that didn't seem to matter, for as soon as the animal caught sight of Midna it grew skittish.

Link shot Midna an apologetic look, and with a huff, she descended into the shadows at their feet.

"Are you injured at all?" Zelda asked him as he guided the horse to a stop beside them once he'd managed to calm it down.

"No, I'm fine," Link replied, "and I don't think these horses are wild."

"What makes you say that?" Kid wondered.

"Yeah, the other horses ran from you and this one bucked you off," Tetra added with a smirk.

"All horses are different," Link claimed. "Some startle easier than others, and this one probably isn't used to being ridden bareback or just isn't familiar with my weight. I'm not sure, but I know she has to be tamed. Otherwise, she would have resisted the commands I gave her to get her over here just now."

"Perhaps someone turned her loose," Zelda theorized.

Link nodded. "Maybe."

"Who cares?" Tetra interjected. "Go get another one. Time's wasting away here."

"Alright, alright." Link dismounted easily and turned to head back to the grazing horses.

Before he could take more than a step, Zelda stopped him. "Will this horse stay?"

An uncertain look crossed Link's face, and he scrutinized the horse as if silently asking it if it would stay. "She should, but just in case…Kid let me borrow your grappling hook." Kid dug out the tool from his belongings and handed it to Link, who fashioned it into a loose loop around the horse's neck. He handed off the excess rope with the claw at its end to Zelda. "There."

With that, he left them to "catch" another horse. Much to Tetra's dismay, it took just as long, if not a little longer, for Link to befriend another one of the large animals and ride it over to them, but he managed it without falling off again, and there was still daylight left so Tetra couldn't complain too much.

"So, Zelda," Link said, sliding off of the black and white speckled horse he'd just caught, "have you ever ridden bareback?"

"I cannot say that I have." Tetra groaned at her counterpart's answer.

Link cracked a smile, and Tetra just barely resisted the urge to punch it off his face. "Tetra, I don't think you realized that it isn't as simple as getting on a horse and going when you ordered me to get these for us earlier."

Tetra crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at him so that she didn't have to admit that he was right. "Whatever. Just teach her so we can go."

Link turned to the princess and launched into an explanation filled with technical terms Tetra didn't understand and didn't bother trying to understand. Only when they were ready to depart did she tune in again and that was only because she had a problem.

"How do I get on?" There was no stirrup to aid her like there had been in Hyrule, and Zelda was already seated atop the black and white colored animal.

"Here, I'll boost you," Link said, coming over and cupping his hands into a makeshift stirrup. She stepped into his cupped hands, placing one hand on his shoulder and her other on the horse to give herself better leverage, and hopped up behind her counterpart.

Immediately, she knew this was going to be different than before. She could feel the muscles of the animal beneath her, and her center of balance was off too.

Perhaps sensing this, Link instructed her to move up a bit and to hold onto Zelda to stay on rather than squeezing the sides of the animal she was seated on with her legs. She followed his instructions without complaint because this had been her idea and backing out of it or whining about it would only give the Hero of Twilight satisfaction.

She sat as straight as possible behind her counterpart, watching as Link swung expertly onto the sandy-colored horse's back and then reached out a hand to Kid, tugging the boy up behind him.

The horse tossed its head a little in objection at having two humans on its back, but Link didn't let it get out of control like it had earlier. He clicked his tongue and urged it forward.

"Let's go," Link called over his shoulder. Tetra really hoped that Zelda had been paying attention during her little riding lesson with Link because they were on their own now.

Thankfully, the princess seemed to know what she was doing and the horse responded to her. Of course, that didn't mean the ride was any less bumpy or uncomfortable but it did minimize the peril.

They trailed behind the boys and their horse, sights locked on the smoke that was beckoning them closer. It beckoned them through the field and into a wood choked with trees so close together that they were forced into a tight single file line.

It was difficult to see the smoke above the dense multi-colored foliage that made up the forest's canopy, but luckily they had Link's sharp senses to guide them.

By the time they emerged from the trees, the sun was setting, and Tetra wanted nothing more than to get off of the horse and never get on it again. Of course, to get off, she needed Link's help, as did Zelda, and Link was too busy staring at something. That's when she noticed how strong the smell of smoke was.

Leaning to the right as much as she dared, Tetra peered around her counterpart. The sight that greeted her snatched away the breath from her lungs and plopped a leaden ball into her stomach.

Smoke wafted up from the remains of a village like the spirits of the deceased floating up to meet the goddesses. Everything was grey and black, like a dusty old pictograph. Even the surrounding trees were tainted with grey, ash coating their limbs and leaves.

None of them spoke, and the silence seemed to make it worse, for the unuttered questions screamed all the louder. What did this and why? What of the people? Were they all lying dead beneath the ruins of their homes or did they escape? If they escaped, where did they go? If not, were there any survivors? And, most importantly, was whatever did this still around? Was it targeting other villages? Were there even anymore villages left to target? The people at Papuchia Village had said that this had been going on for six days now. Had all the existing villages in the Forest Realm been burned? She knew that she didn't want any resistance when she laid claim to this land, but she didn't want to ensure it like this. She'd rather the natives live. Even if they weren't her people, they were people. They couldn't just die so quickly, one after another.

Maybe this was an accident. Maybe someone had mishandled a torch and set the entire place ablaze. Tragic, but possible and better than the alternative that something else, something wicked, had done this.

It's what she chose to believe as they all dismounted the horses. It's what she chose to believe as Link tied the two animals to a tree using Kid's grappling hook as a makeshift rope. It's what she chose to believe as they entered the sizable clearing that once held a village. It's what she chose to believe as they slowly picked their way through the rubble, timidly calling out and listening for any form of response to indicate that someone was here and had heard them.

And it's what she couldn't believe when they passed under a long, charred beam and disturbed several charcoal black Keese from their slumber. The creatures screeched, bursting into flames and dive bombing their little group.

Fortunately, they were all blessed with quick reflexes and dodged, drawing their respective weapons.

"Do you think it was the Keese that did this?" Kid asked as they began the battle, at least one of the bat monsters targeting each of them.

Tetra side-stepped as one of the flaming Keese flew at her and swiped it out of existence with her dagger, feeling the heat emanating from its body before it burst into nothingness. "If they were, that's stupid. They're so easy to kill."

Princess Zelda swiped another out of the air as if to prove Tetra's point.

"Maybe there were more," Link suggested, ending the last three in a single swing of his sword. "A whole colony of Fire Keese could cause problems."

"Are colonies of Keese attacking villages common in Hyrule?" Tetra interrogated him.

"Well…no," Link admitted.

"But the people at Papuchia said that monsters showed up recently," Kid pointed out.

"I do not believe this was an accident or even a random attack," Princess Zelda spoke up. "It was intentional."

"How can you tell?" Tetra wondered. From what she could see, the burned village, large as it was, didn't offer any clues. There was nothing distinctive about the rubble. It was just ash and charred and splintered wood aside from one building towards the center that had obviously been built slightly better than the rest since it was still standing.

"The Keese. If they had been native to this land, they would not have disappeared. There would have been a corpse left behind when we killed them. Because there was not, I can only conclude that these monsters were created by magic," Zelda explained.

"Who created them then?" Link asked.

"Someone evil, duh," Midna interjected, slipping out of the shadows and into the open.

"Like…" Kid trailed off, reluctant to continue.

But Tetra knew what he was thinking and finished for him even though the thought made her sick. "Ghirahim."

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Link said, raising a hand as if to stop the anxious looks taking over their faces. "It could have been someone else. Ghirahim isn't the only one that can make monsters."

Tetra tried to take comfort in that fact, but it was nearly impossible. Zant wasn't here, and the Ganondorf of their world was currently encased in stone at the bottom of the Great Sea with the Master Sword in his head. He wasn't going anywhere, much less creating monsters to wreak havoc ever again.

"Let's keep looking," Zelda said finally, stepping forward to continue touring the ruins. "Perhaps we will find some other clue as to the origins of whoever did this."

The rest of them followed her, sticking close together with their weapons ready. As they drew closer and closer towards the center of the decimated village, Tetra's uneasiness only grew, and she gripped her dagger tighter as if that would somehow alleviate the feeling.

The dirt path carved out of the earth hadn't been completely clear to begin with but at one point it was overflowing with rubble, so they had no choice but to travel over it.

That's when something shot out of the mess at their feet and latched onto Zelda's ankle, eliciting a scream of fright from the princess.

Princess Zelda stumbled back into Tetra, pulling up a grotesque-looking monster from the rubble. Her counterpart seemed to have forgotten all about the sword in her hand so Tetra took the liberty of getting it to release her, lunging past Zelda and swiping her dagger across the creature's bloated chest, once, twice, three times, before aiming a powerful kick at its stomach since her other attacks didn't seem to faze it much.

Her attack ensured that it lost its grip on the princess and tumbled backwards for a few revolutions before coming to rest on its back.

"Thank you," Zelda breathed gratefully behind her. Tetra barely heard her, though. Her attention was focused on the monster that was not disappearing like it should have by now.

She took a few steps forward, mindful of the uneven rubble she was walking over. Just when she reached it, the monster leapt to its feet with more energy than it seemed capable of possessing and snagged her arms, pulling her forward and forcing her to take in its putrid stench and corpse-like features.

Tetra recoiled instantly, but she didn't get too far. The monster was stronger than her despite its decaying body and yanked her closer, opening its mouth wide as if in preparation to take a bite out of her.

A blade suddenly sliced across the side of the creature's face, and Tetra turned to see Kid wielding the Master Sword. He struck the monster once more, this time across its wrists. By all means, the blow should have severed its hands, especially considering the fact that its skin was sagging off of its bones and one of its arms was completely stripped of flesh, but it didn't.

However, it did succeed in forcing the monster to let go of her, and she scrambled back from it, rubbing at her arms to get the gross feeling of the monster off of her.

As she watched Kid battle, Tetra tried to figure out what he was battling. It was obviously a monster, but what kind, she didn't know. Its features were reminiscent of a Bulblin, but she'd never seen a Bulblin so worse for wear and still standing, much less moving. Its black horns were cracked and chipped off in places. The flesh that was still clinging to its bones was bloated and purple. Its eyes were jaundiced and glowing and its tongue was blue and lolling out of its mouth, dripping with saliva.

Whatever it was, it was unwell, but that didn't make her feel sorry for it. Not in the least. It had tried to bite her and was trying to do the same to Kid every time he paused in his attacks to check if he'd done any damage.

Oddly enough, even though Kid had to have hit it with his sword at least a dozen times by now, the monster didn't show any signs of fatigue or weakness.

"Get away from it!" Link ordered, and Tetra whirled around to see Link coming towards them, probably not trusting that they would do as he said. On the contrary, Tetra had no qualms with doing what he said at the moment and neither did Kid. The two of them retreated, regrouping with Link and Zelda.

It was only once they were all together that Tetra noticed there was more than one of the shambling corpse Bulblins in the vicinity. More must have clawed their way up from the rubble while she and Kid had been dealing with the first one, which explained why they'd gotten no help from their companions, not that she thought it would have mattered. Despite their fragile appearance, these monsters were indestructible. Even so…

"They're slow," she observed. "We can slip past them, easy."

Link shook his head. "I don't think anyone's here. We should just turn back."

"We haven't even seen half of this place yet!" she protested. They couldn't just leave without accomplishing anything. They had to look around some more. Reporting back to Papuchia that a village had burned down and that theirs was probably next wasn't the kind of news she was looking to deliver to the natives.

Link didn't seem to care about that, though. "There isn't much of anything to see here, Tetra. It's burned. It's gone."

"But we don't know  _why_ ," she pressed. "There are monsters here. Someone had to have sent them to destroy this place, and if we don't figure out who that was then every village still standing will suffer the same fate!"

"How are we supposed to figure that out when we don't even know what those things are?" Link demanded, gesturing to the monsters slowly limping their way across the debris in their direction.

Suddenly, Fi materialized between the two of them, and they all jumped back in surprise. "Those are Cursed Bokoblins, Master. These horrifying Bokoblins reanimate after death. Analysis indicates they fear pure, shiny items and will startle at the sight of a sacred shield. They are able to reanimate purely through their hatred of this world…and their attachment to outlandish underpants."

It was as if Fi knew how this information would affect them, so she added on the last part of her announcement just to lighten the mood. But the mood was decidedly dark and no amount of jokes would brighten it.

Because Tetra just couldn't get past the fact that if Fi knew what it was, then that could only mean that her first Master had encountered it. Which meant that it was a creation of Ghirahim's. Which meant he was here. In her land.

It was more of a slap to the face than it had been before. Knowing that Ghirahim was in the Great Sea was one thing. Knowing that he had found and begun to take over the land that she intended to make New Hyrule before her, was another.

She was snapped out of her horrified thoughts by something nearly as horrifying and swiped her dagger across a Cursed Bokoblin's outstretched hand, hopping back so it couldn't grab her.

"So how do we defeat these things?" she asked the sword spirit, narrowing her eyes at the creature in front of her. It wasn't Ghirahim, but killing it would do for now.

"There are a total of three methods to defeat Cursed Bokoblins," Fi announced. "The first is to keep striking with a sword. Hitting one at least twenty-five times will dispose of it. The second is to unbalance the Bokoblin with a spin attack and follow up with an ending blow once it is on the ground. The third, and most effective method, is to use bombs."

"Bombs it is," Link decided. "Tetra, move."

"I'm going to kill it," she declared stubbornly, tightening her grip on her dagger and preparing to strike the monster.

"You're going to hit it twenty-five times?" Link deadpanned.

In answer, Tetra took a step forward and struck the Cursed Bokoblin with her dagger. One.

Twenty-four hits later, the Cursed Bokoblin fell flat on its back and puffed into purple smoke, joining the other five that had crawled out of the rubble with it in death.

"Alright, so…what now?" Link wondered, looking at them all to see what they thought.

"We have our answer," Zelda said. "So we should return to Papuchia Village and go from there."

"But what do we tell the people at Papuchia?" Kid asked. "If we tell them about Ghirahim, we'd have to explain everything, and they'd probably stop us and kick us out as soon as we mention that it's kinda our fault that he's here in the first place."

"So we don't mention that part," Link replied.

"Then what do we say?"

Link hesitated, and Princess Zelda took over. "We-"

Tetra was too busy looking for something else to take her frustrations out on to bother listening to the conversation anymore, much less contribute.

She swept her gaze over the ash and blackened wood and broken glass and other miscellaneous objects that were damaged beyond recognition, unable to feel anything but fury. How did Ghirahim find this place before her? She'd been trying for months and it only took him a week! That wasn't fair! Of course she knew life was anything but fair, but she felt that the goddesses should treat her a little better, considering that she was technically their sister.

As if granting her wish, a piece of charred wood fell off of the remains of a house, and Tetra's eyes flew to it instantly. She thought she could see a scrap of fabric, peeking between two blackened beams, but when she blinked it was gone.

She continued to stare at the spot, willing the thing to reappear or for something else to shift. When nothing did, she ventured closer to the debris, listening for any sound besides the talking of her companions.

Upon arriving at the suspicious spot, Tetra stepped over the crisscrossed beams and inspected the ground. It was littered with debris and ash, but it was a boot print stamped into the fine gray particles that caught her attention and held it.

None of them had come over here until now, and no one else had been here as far as they knew, so there shouldn't be any prints. Then again, there were monsters around and the Cursed Bokoblins earlier had been wearing boots, or rather, a boot, each.

If that had been the case, there should be an actual footprint on the ground as well. Except when Tetra kneeled down to check, there wasn't. She did notice something else, however. A piece of wood laid almost directly next to the boot print.

Experimentally, Tetra repositioned herself so that her right foot rested on the piece of wood and her left foot came down directly on top of the print. Raising her head, she found that she could see her companions perfectly between the two crisscrossed beams.

Someone had been spying on them, and Tetra was willing to bet it hadn't been a monster.

Closing her eyes, Tetra did her best to block out her companions' conversation and the unfamiliar tweeting of birds and buzzing of insects and dry rustling of leaves and just listen.

She didn't know how long she knelt there, unmoving and straining her ears, until she heard something. It wasn't big, just the skittering of pebbles over dirt, but it was enough to give her a direction.

Shooting to her feet, Tetra turned and picked her way as swiftly as she could through all the debris in the direction of the noise. Once she hit the road, she caught a glimpse of something moving around a corner constructed of debris. With any doubts she had swiftly leaving her, Tetra ran.

She tracked the fleeting thing around twists and turns and under and over debris, but she was always a second too late to see anything more than a blur. Whatever it was, it was fast and obviously didn't want to be caught. Even so, Tetra didn't intend to let it succeed in escaping. She wanted answers.

Unfortunately for her, she wasn't going to get them. When she careened around the next corner, she didn't see anything but wreckage.

Unable to believe that she'd truly lost her lead, Tetra sprinted across the shifting debris and came to a halt at what seemed to have been a crossroads of sorts for the village.

She looked in each direction, craning her neck and walking back and forth along the dusty road to try to catch another glimpse of the thing she'd been chasing, but to no avail.

Kicking the ashy ground in frustration, Tetra doubled back. It had to be hiding somewhere. There was a lot of wreckage. All one would have to do to conceal themselves is to crawl under some.

Tetra began to stomp across the debris. If someone was hiding here, then she'd step on them and make them wish they'd kept running.

Her foot came down hard on a shard of something colored grey by the ash, and she stumbled as the debris shifted, forcing her off balance. Luckily, she managed to catch herself before she could fall. But not before the wreckage she was standing on gave out from underneath her.

With a cry of alarm, Tetra plummeted down into darkness amid a dust cloud of ash. She struck the ground, rolling a few times before coming to a stop on her stomach.

Dazed and temporarily out of breath, Tetra laid there, trying to calm her racing heart and reassure herself that it was still beating. She'd just fallen. No big deal.

As if to prove it to herself, she gathered her arms underneath her and pushed herself up onto all fours.

Coughing at the ash and dirt in the air, Tetra settled back onto her knees and tilted back her head to see darkness. A little to the right was the hole that she'd fallen through, and Tetra silently mused that the fall had felt longer than it looked. Though that didn't mean it would be easy for her to get out. The hole was at least ten feet above her head.

Well, great. Now she had to call for help. She could already hear Link's lecture about not running off on her own as she pulled out the gossip stone from her wallet and activated it.

A warm blue glow surrounded the precious rock, and she held it up in front of her face by the string, watching as the milky scene inside of the expertly cut stone began to swirl into a clear image.

The too-loud scuff of a footfall alerted her to the presence of something else, and she gasped, dropping the charm and reaching for her dagger as the stone rolled away from her, its cerulean light flickering but holding just enough for her to see the boot that it stopped against.

Her gossip stone was swept up by an unknown hand, and she was momentarily blinded as the blue light flared. Blinking rapidly to chase away the colorful dots dancing across her vision, Tetra found herself staring up at the face of a girl that couldn't have been any older than her.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," the young girl apologized, holding out the glowing stone towards Tetra, inviting her to reclaim it. Tetra couldn't help but note that the girl possessed a similar accent to the people they met in Papuchia Village.

Even so, she wasn't inclined to trust her. What was she doing hanging around down here? Wherever down here was. At least _she_  had an excuse, falling like she had, but this girl had none.

"Where are you?" Kid's voice floated through the stone and into her ears, breaking her distrustful stare with the girl in front of her, who was so startled by Kid's disembodied voice that she let out a small squeak and dropped the stone.

Tetra snatched it out of the air with both hands and brought it close to her chest. "In a hole."

"What?" Kid sounded like he was trying to decide if she was joking or not.

"In. A. Hole." Tetra repeated slowly. "I fell."

"Are you okay?" Kid asked at the same time that Link exclaimed, "What possessed you to go off on your own?"

She chose to answer Kid. "I'm fine."

Link repeated his question, unwilling to let it go. "I was chasing something." Her gaze flicked up to the girl and then back to the stone in her hand. "Someone."

"Someone?" Zelda's interested voice came through, and Tetra rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, anyway-"

"Who?" Kid wondered.

Tetra released a heavy sigh. "I don't know. Some girl."

"Is she with you now?" Link interrogated her.

"Yes," Tetra breathed out in exasperation. "Now don't ask me anything else about her because I don't know. I just found her."

Link surprised her by changing the topic. "Alright, where are you?"

"I don't know!" And she didn't. She hadn't been paying attention to where she was going while she was chasing the girl in front of her, for she was fairly certain that that was who had been giving her the run around.

A heavy sigh erupted from the stone, and Link began his lecture about disappearing on them and not mentioning that she'd seen something. Tetra wasn't interested in being reprimanded by the Hero of Twilight or her counterpart or even Kid, so she closed her cupped hands around the hovering stone, instantly muting their voices and dimming the light.

She snapped her gaze up to the girl who had her hands tucked behind her back and was leaning forward a bit, clearly intrigued with the multi-voiced blue stone in her hands. "Why were you spying on us?"

The girl blinked dumbly. "What?"

"You were spying on us," Tetra accused her fiercely. "Not now, but earlier. You were hiding and listening to us talk. Why?"

Silence, and then, "I was trying to see who you were and why you were here."

"And you couldn't have just come up to us and asked us straight to our faces?" Tetra demanded.

"I…was scared," the girl admitted, shrinking back a little and suddenly making Tetra feel a tad guilty for yelling at her.

"Well, stop being scared," Tetra ordered. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The girl's eyes met hers, and Tetra swore that they flashed purple for a second. "I know that now."

Tetra furrowed her brow. Why was this girl being so much more trusting than the people at Papuchia? She hadn't exactly done or said much to earn her trust, which only encouraged Tetra to be even more wary. "How did you get down here anyway?"

"This place used to be someone's cellar," the girl explained. She cracked an amused smile. "There's a better way in and out than falling through a hole."

Tetra opened her mouth to scream at this strange girl for teasing her, but then snapped it shut. Upsetting this girl could mean that escaping this place would be a bigger headache than it had to be, so she just settled for leveling one of her best glares at the girl in retaliation. It didn't work quite the way she'd intended, for the girl giggled.

"Just show me the way out," Tetra commanded, exasperated.

"Sure," the girl agreed. "Follow me."

Tetra started to get up, her hands still trapping the shining charm in her palms, when a sharp pain shot through her leg. She fell to her knees with a hiss of pain.

"You lied to your friends about not being hurt," the girl observed.

"I did not!" Tetra argued. She hadn't even known her leg was hurt until now. Moving into a better positon so that she could see her right leg, Tetra brought the glow of the gossip stone close, allowing her to make out a nasty-looking scrape on her shin and bruising around her ankle.

"I can help," the girl said, kneeling down in front of her and reaching out to touch her leg. Tetra retracted it, sucking in a breath at the pain the motion caused her.

"Really, I can!" the girl insisted, meeting her distrustful gaze with an urgent one. "Let me. I feel bad for making you fall in the first place."

The girl reached out her hands towards Tetra's leg once more, and this time Tetra let her, but only because it really did hurt, and she wasn't sure she could walk on it like it was now. Of course, she didn't exactly know what the girl aimed to do for her. From what Tetra could see the girl kneeling before her had no supplies on her. She didn't wear a pouch or satchel anywhere on her person. She was just clothed in a tunic-like dress and a long sleeved undershirt with billowing bell sleeves that almost completely hid her pale hands, which were now hovering just over Tetra's wound, a hair's breath away from touching it.

Tetra watched in a mixture of distrust, fascination, and disbelief as the girl closed her eyes and her hands began to glow gold. Lavender sparks dripped off of her fingertips and onto Tetra's leg, sinking into the wound. Tiny pinpricks of pain appeared where the sparks touched her, but they quickly transformed into a soothing coolness that dulled the ache.

She no longer needed the glow from the stone nestled in her hands to see the wound begin to close and the blood begin to disappear. Seconds later, it was completely gone along with the bruising around her ankle, and the girl's hands stopped shedding violet sparks, losing their golden hue.

The darkness was a shock after all the light, and Tetra found herself momentarily unable to speak. She moved her leg experimentally. When it didn't hurt, she tried to get up. This time when she put weight on it, it didn't send pain lancing through her and drop her to her knees. She was able to stand just as well as she had earlier when she'd been unhurt.

"How did you do that?" Tetra breathed, watching the girl stand as well, dusting off her hands. The girl was a little shorter than her, and now that the light was higher, Tetra could see more of her face. Her hair was pulled back from her face and thrown over her left shoulder in an extremely loose ponytail, drawing Tetra's eyes to her ears. They were pointed.

"Magic," the girl replied cheerily. "Does anything else hurt? I can heal it for you."

Tetra shook her head, still in shock. Was this girl Hylian? Or something else?

"Well, then," the girl said, tucking her hands behind her back and turning on her heel. "Let's go."

She began to walk away, deeper into the darkness, and Tetra hesitated a second before following her, letting a little more light trickle through her fingers to illuminate their way.

"What's your name, anyway?" Tetra demanded gruffly, trying to regain her composure. Despite the fact that this girl had healed her, Tetra didn't completely trust her. Magic wasn't something regular people possessed. Nonetheless, trusting this strange girl seemed like the only option she had at the moment.

The girl stopped, and Tetra stopped beside her. "What's your name?" the girl returned, tilting her head to the side like a curious dog. Tetra didn't like dogs.

"Tetra…" she replied cautiously.

"Nice to meet you, Tetra," the girl chirped, sticking out her hand for the pirate princess to take and smiling warmly. "I'm Anjean."


	19. Anjean

It had been a hectic day, made even more hectic by Tetra's recent desertion, and it just got worse.

"It's been five minutes. Why isn't she answering?" Kid's eyes were riveted to the glowing blue stone in his palm as they tromped along in no particular direction at all.

That was the question they'd all been asking themselves. Link barely even contemplated the notion that the pirate girl's silence was out of remorse for her recent actions. Tetra was too stubborn for that. It was more likely that she was ignoring them for some ludicrous reason or other.

But there was no guaranteeing that. She could very well be in trouble, and, since there were undead monsters roaming around and Tetra's whereabouts were unknown, that was very bad indeed.

"Could the stone be malfunctioning?" Zelda inquired, trying to be optimistic, though Link could tell that she was just as worried as Kid.

The young hero shook his head, a frustrated look on his face. "I don't know. Can magic malfunction?"

"Sure, if you don't know how to use it," Midna answered him. Link couldn't believe that the Twilight Princess, a living shadow, hadn't noticed Tetra running off. Then again, the same could be said for him, heightened senses and all.

Link stopped, sucking in a breath. How could he be that stupid?

"What?" Kid wondered, stopping along with Zelda and Midna. All three were regarding him with puzzled expressions, but Link only had eyes for the stone in Kid's hand.

"Tetra gave you that, right?" Link asked, indicating the luminescent rock with a nod of his head.

Kid's gaze flicked to the pirate's charm, then back up to Link. "Yes."

"Then I can use it to track her," Link declared, suddenly determined to find Tetra so that he could confirm she was alright, and, once that was done, give her a piece of his mind. "Midna-"

He turned to the cursed Twili to find her already balancing the shadow crystal on the tip of her finger, a wicked grin splitting her face. "I've been waiting to do this all day!" With that, she shoved the crystal into Link's forehead, and pain lanced through his entire being as shadows consumed him, and his bones and muscles and organs shifted into new positions and hair sprouted to cover every inch of him.

It was over in seconds, and the pain dulled to a numb buzzing in his limbs. Now on four legs instead of two, he shook himself to acclimate to his new form. It had been quite a while since he'd last transformed into the blue-eyed beast.

Midna plopped herself down onto his back, but Link barely offered her a half-hearted growl in protest. He had a mission to complete and wouldn't be distracted.

Padding forward, Link sniffed the blue stone that Kid had set on the ground for him. The acrid smell of smoke and the lingering odor of the decaying Bokoblins had only become more prominent in his wolf form, but Link did his best to ignore those unpleasant smells and focus on the stone itself.

Two similar, yet different, scents swirled around the rock. The strongest was Kid's, a warm and homey smell mixed with the now all too familiar tang of salt, but there was an underlying scent beneath it, heavy with salt and air and freedom. There was no doubt about it. This fainter scent was Tetra's.

He homed in on it, concentrating on memorizing the scent. Once he was sure he had it, Link turned away from the stone and began to sniff the ground for a whiff of Tetra's scent. He found it almost instantly and took off, his companions trailing behind him anxiously.

Tetra's scent initially misled him, nearly drawing him back to where they had entered the smoking village until he realized his mistake and retraced his steps. When he did manage to find the freshest trail, it pulled him around twists and turns and under and over unstable debris, solidifying the belief in his mind that Tetra had no sense of self-preservation.

"Link, the stone!" Kid exclaimed suddenly, causing Link to momentarily snap out of his tracking and glance over his shoulder at his distraught counterpart who was now cradling the gossip stone in two hands. Link could see that it wasn't glowing anymore. Tetra must have deactivated it. At least, he hoped it had been her. But why? Did that mean she'd escaped from the hole she'd fallen into?

As if in answer, the sound of shifting debris perked up his ears, and suddenly he didn't have any thought in his mind but to revert back to his original form. Tetra had said someone was with her, a girl. The last thing he needed to do was scare her with his wolf form.

Hastily, he attempted to signal Midna to turn him back, but the Twilight Princess was too busy lounging comfortably on his back, admiring the sky swirled into a pallet of pastels by the sunset, to notice. Only when Kid bolted past them and rounded the artificial corner constructed entirely of debris, calling Tetra's name, did Midna snap out of her reverie. She quickly transformed Link back into a human before dripping into the lengthening shadows.

Link stood, shaking off the last of the shadows surrounding him, and ran after his counterpart with Zelda by his side.

They rounded the corner just in time to see Kid standing amidst a pile of charred wreckage, reaching a hand into the rubble and pulling up an ash-covered Tetra.

"What happened?" Kid interrogated her as Link and Zelda hurried over to join them.

"Nothing," Tetra said nonchalantly, removing her hand from Kid's and beginning to brush dirt and ash off of her arms, not that it really helped. She was filthy from head to toe but appeared unharmed otherwise.

"Why did you stop responding to us?" Link demanded, unable to mask his anger now that he knew she was okay.

Without pausing in her futile effort to clear her clothes, skin, and hair of grime, Tetra replied, "You were annoying me, so I cut off the sound."

"You-?!" Link had been expecting a reply like this, but it still got under his skin. "That's not a good enough reason!"

"Maybe not to you. To me, it's a very good reason," Tetra declared, shooting him a pointed look that sent his blood boiling.

"You made us think that something happened to you," Kid chimed in, his voice no louder or softer than usual, but the definitive frown on his face made it evident that he didn't approve of Tetra's recent actions either.

The pirate girl rolled her eyes and held her hands out to either side of her. "Look, I'm fine, okay?"

" _We_  didn't know that," Link interjected, unable to comprehend how Tetra could just disregard everyone else's feelings.

"Well, what do you want?" Tetra demanded folding her arms across her chest. "An apology?"

"Yes, actually," he answered, mimicking her stance and raising his eyebrows expectantly. "You shouldn't have run off on your own to begin with."

"See, this is why I cut you off earlier," Tetra informed him with a roll of her eyes. "I knew you were going to do this."

"Do what?"

"Lecture me."

"I wouldn't have to lecture you if you  _listened_ ," Link retorted.

"And why should I listen to you?" Tetra challenged him. "Because you're older? Because you know best?"

Link expelled an irritated sigh through his nose. "Because you're too rash for your own good, Tetra. Running around doing whatever and saying whatever you want is going to get you killed someday."

"Oh, yeah? Well, someday isn't today. I'm very much alive, as you can see." Tetra gestured to herself as if he needed the proof.

Link grit his teeth. "That's not the point."

"It never is, is it?" Tetra huffed.

"Tetra?" Zelda's inquisitive voice instantly drew the pirate girl's fury to her.

" _What?_ "

"Would you terribly mind introducing us?" The princess inclined her head, and Tetra glanced over her shoulder. Link looked as well. Shame settled like a heavy hood over his head as his eyes landed on the ghostly-pale girl in the plum dress standing just behind Tetra. Suddenly he was all too aware of the tightness of anger in his face and did his best to rid himself of it. This girl was probably scared out of her wits, and their arguing couldn't have helped reassure her that she was safe with them.

"Oh…" It was as if Tetra had just remembered that the girl existed. "That's Anjean." She was quiet a moment longer before saying, "I didn't know you had purple hair."

The girl's wide eyes had been flicking back and forth over them all, assessing them, but now they settled on Tetra. Anjean put a hand that had previously been obscured by a voluminous sky blue sleeve to her lavender hair, as if defending it from the pirate girl's judgment.

Link, for one, didn't see anything wrong with it. Sure, it wasn't exactly normal, but dying hair unnatural colors was a sort of fashion statement some people in Hyrule, primarily in Castle Town, had been experimenting with for a while now.

What interested him more was the circular clip that held together the extremely loose ponytail that was tossed over her left shoulder. It looked like a wheel, the middle a bright scarlet and the wide spokes alternating between yellow and orange.

"Anyway," Tetra said, gesturing to the princess, "this is Zelda." She pointed to him. "That's Link. And this," she nudged Kid in the side with her elbow, "is Kid."

"It's a nickname," Kid offered hastily when Anjean's calculating expression turned puzzled.

"So now that you know who everyone is, we should get going," Tetra declared, glancing at the pale blue and peach tinged sky. That was the first thing that Tetra had said in the past half hour that Link actually agreed with.

They began to pick their way off of the rubble, but it became clear after just a few seconds that their newest member was not following them.

Link stopped and so did the others.

"Come on," Tetra called to her. "We have to go."

Anjean shook her head and stayed rooted to the spot.

"Why not?" Tetra demanded.

"Are there other people in need of assistance here?" Zelda inquired. Of course! If there was one person here, then it wasn't unlikely that there were more.

"No. There's no one else here." Anjean announced, dropping the hand that had been playing with her hair to her side. Her accent, Link noted, was lighter than the accents they had encountered at Papuchia. "I just…need something."

"Whatever it is, I bet it's not that important." Tetra said, taking a step back towards the road.

"It is," Anjean insisted. "I can't leave without it."

"Please come with us," Kid urged her, approaching the purple-haired girl and extending a hand towards her. "It's too dangerous to stay here. There are monsters."

Anjean shook her head vehemently, and Kid's face fell at the rejection. Reluctantly, the Hero of Winds retracted his hand.

Link opened his mouth to try his luck at convincing her, but Tetra spoke up before he could.

"Just how important is it?"

Anjean's dark brown eyes instantly shot to the pirate captain. " _Immensely._ "

"And you're sure you can't replace it?" Tetra checked.

"Positive."

Tetra expelled a heavy sigh before straightening and shooting Anjean one of her signature winks. "Then I guess we have no choice but to go get it."

"Tetra, we don't have time," Link objected. He wasn't opposed to helping Anjean, but they had little daylight left, and once it was gone, Link didn't even want to imagine the types of monsters that would assault them.

This place made him uneasy enough in the last rays of the sun. Complete darkness, he was sure, would only increase the eeriness already crawling on his skin and burrowing in his bones.

"We'll be quick," Tetra assured him before turning her attention back to Anjean. "Where is this important thing you need?"

Anjean seemed a bit taken aback by Tetra's decision to help but quickly snapped out of it and pointed. "Over there." They all followed her finger to the only building that was still mostly standing. It was incredibly large, making Link believe that more than one family had to live within it at one time, or else it had belonged to someone quite wealthy. But what concerned him most wasn't who had lived there, or even the structural soundness of the damaged building, but its location. To reach it, they would have to tromp across a good deal of debris. Debris that they had begun to walk over earlier only to be ambushed by Cursed Bokoblins.

Tetra must have realized this too, for she drew her dagger before declaring, "Let's go."

* * *

Soon, Link found himself back where they'd first encountered the decaying monsters, trying -and failing- to ignore the lingering rancid stench of the creatures as they walked, weapons drawn and ready to protect, not only themselves, but Anjean as well.

The young girl was situated in the middle of their formation, protected on all sides by each of them. Tetra in front of her. Link to her left. Zelda to her right. And Kid at her back. Yet, despite the protection, Anjean didn't seem comforted by their presence. Link could understand that. They were strangers after all, and she'd just lost her home and friends and family. He couldn't help but feel guilty, knowing that. But how were they to know where Ghirahim went?

Link was snapped out of his sour thoughts by a Cursed Bokoblin clawing its way to the surface right in front of his feet. He jumped back before it could grab him and lured it far enough away from the rest of the group so he could safely perform a spin attack. The creature was instantly knocked on its back, and he leapt forward, driving the sword into its gut and officially ending the abomination.

Standing, Link twirled the sword in his hand and reclaimed his position beside Anjean, shooting her a reassuring smile. She just stared up at him in a mixture of awe and horror, as if she had just caught a glimpse of the beast within him. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Link looked away and returned his attention to scanning the ground for any more Cursed Bokoblins.

They continued their trek, interruptions becoming more and more frequent as they drew closer to what used to be the village's center.

By the time they all crouched behind the charred remains of a wall from someone's house, they were all tense and, in everyone's case besides Anjean's, out of breath from fighting. Their destination was just ahead, but there was a problem.

Just beyond the demolished wall that was their hiding place, an entire swarm of Cursed Bokoblins ambled around, effectively discouraging anyone from entering the building. By Link's count, there were at least fifty, but that was all he could see from this side. It was likely that more undead monsters were shuffling around on the opposite side of the large building. They couldn't take on that many.

"Bombs," Kid stated as they all ducked back down, allowing the small wall to completely obscure them once more. "We throw those in first and take out as many as we can, then make a run for the building."

"And escaping?" Zelda wondered.

"We do the same thing," Kid answered.

"How many bombs do you have?" Link asked his counterpart. The battle earlier had nearly cleaned out his entire supply. If Kid didn't have a decent amount of explosives in his own arsenal, there was no way this was going to work.

"Ten or so," Kid replied. Combined with Link's equally meager supply that meant they had, at most, fifteen bombs to use for their break in and break out. Not to mention that they'd have to be extra careful about where they threw the bombs. It was pretty much inevitable that they'd rekindle some of the earlier fires. The trick was not to set the building that was their destination alight along with it.

"Use half of what you both have to get in and half to get out," Tetra proposed, and Link nodded. It could work. But they'd only have one shot at it.

And then there was Anjean.

"I'm not staying behind," Anjean informed them when Link suggested that she should.

"You wouldn't be alone. We'd leave Tetra or Zelda with you," he added.

"I'm still not staying behind," Anjean said stubbornly, the pastel sky reflecting off of her eyes and briefly turning them lilac. "You don't even know what you're looking for."

"Tell us what we're looking for, then," Link invited her as gently as he could.

Apparently, it wasn't gently enough, for Anjean went mute. He couldn't very well force her, so Link resolved to keep a close eye on her as they executed their plan.

After going over a few more specifics, they were ready to take action. Link stood along with Kid, bomb bags at the ready, while the girls stayed down and covered their ears in anticipation of the explosions they were going to rain on the unsuspecting Cursed Bokoblins.

Kid was the first to light and throw a bomb. It landed a good distance away from them, not too close to the building, but close enough to shake the foundation that still stood when the bomb exploded and take out three of the undead monsters it had landed near.

The two of them nervously watched the blackened building, worried that the weakened wood and stone that it was made of would collapse from the new stress. When it didn't, Link lit and threw a bomb, making sure to throw it so it landed a little farther from the building and wouldn't disturb it as much. The resulting explosion took out another three Cursed Bokoblins.

By now, the creatures were aware that they were being attacked and began to redirect their decomposing bodies towards Link and Kid. Moving away from what used to be their hiding place so the creatures didn't stumble upon the girls, the heroes continued to take turns throwing bombs.

After the eighth bomb, thrown by Link, detonated and reduced five more Cursed Bokoblins to purple haze, it was time to move.

Tetra, who had been counting the explosions, jumped up and made to leap over the wall they'd been hiding behind, but then stopped and turned to him. "You guys barely made a dent! Throw more bombs at them!"

"If we do, there's no way we're getting out!" Link shouted back at her, already moving forward and drawing his sword. He'd been right. There were more monsters on the other side of the building, and they were now rounding the structure. If they waited any longer, the new numbers would close the gap that they had managed to make. "Come on! I'll clear more."

"Wait," Kid said, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him to a stop. "I can make a path. Just give me room."

Link's eyes went to the Master Sword clutched in his counterpart's hand, and he grew hesitant. Kid had only just started using his left arm again yesterday, and Link didn't want him to push it. Unfortunately, he didn't get to make that decision.

The cluster of Cursed Bokoblins drew closer, and Link stepped back, reluctantly waving Kid forward and putting an arm out to stop the girls from advancing as they came up behind him.

His eyes were on his counterpart, as the boy crouched, holding out the Master Sword as if in preparation to perform a spin attack. Only when golden energy lit up the sword in his hand did Link recognize what it was. The Hurricane Spin. Kid had told him all about it when they'd first started training together, per Link's request. Unfortunately, Kid couldn't teach it to him because the technique required magic power, and Link had none.

Kid, however, had plenty.

With a cry, Kid released the shining energy that had flocked to the sword and let it spin him around and around in what had to be the most out of control spin attack ever invented. But it worked. Kid plowed through the mass of Cursed Bokoblins with all the devastating force of a hurricane, knocking a great number of monsters onto their backs and creating a very obvious path for them.

Link hurried forward before the creatures had a chance to rise, and the girls followed closely behind him. Just ahead, Kid had stopped spinning and was now swaying dizzily, trying to regain his balance and reorient himself while the monsters he hadn't managed to hit were shuffling closer and closer.

Link ran harder and managed to reach Kid just in time to yank him out of the way of the Cursed Bokoblin reaching for him. He struck the nearest creature with his sword, and it snapped back a second, before springing right back and returning to its thirst for blood or flesh or whatever it was that Cursed Bokoblins yearned for.

"I'm sorry to ask, but can you do that again?" Link requested, still holding on to Kid's arm as the boy shook off the last of his dizziness. Even though it left Kid completely exposed at the end and it didn't kill the Cursed Bokoblins, it was an effective way of creating an opening for them all to pass through.

Kid agreed, and Link let go of him, giving him space to charge up that Hurricane Spin of his once more. While he did that, Link turned to see how their path was holding up. The undead monsters Kid had previously knocked down were already starting to get to their feet. Link dealt out ending blows to those that he could, but in the end there were just too many, and he wound up performing spin attack after spin attack just to get the girls in the clear.

"Get her inside, we'll help Kid," Zelda ordered as they all raced down the new path Kid had made. The princess released Anjean's hand, and she and Tetra veered away from the building, heading towards where Kid was just beginning to lose his momentum.

Anjean's hand lingered in the air, as if she wasn't quite ready to part with the girls just yet, but ready or not, she had to, at least for a little while, so Link snatched her outstretched hand in his own and pulled her towards the building. "It's alright. Come with me."

She didn't protest and allowed him to drag her through the Cursed Bokoblins still lingering near the building. The monsters grasped at them with hands shorn completely of flesh, and Link nearly gagged at the putrid stench of the creatures closing in on them. Ahead he could see a hole near the base of the damaged building, just big enough to allow them entry.

He sprinted for it, and as soon as they were close enough, Link ushered Anjean inside. "Hurry and find what you need," he told her, letting go of her hand. With a determined nod, she left him, and Link turned his back on the hole, facing the approaching Cursed Bokoblins.

He performed the Great Spin, knocking back a good deal of the Cursed Bokoblins. But not enough. The monsters that his attack didn't reach were still coming, scrambling over their fallen comrades to get to him.

He executed another Great Spin, granting himself the space he needed to climb through the hole and inside the building. Ash, blackened wood, and colored glass turned dull by dirt covered the floor, making Link very glad that he was wearing boots.

If not for the fact that the roof had all but been torn asunder, there would have been very little light to see by. As it was, the gaping hole high above his head was quite beneficial as he moved forward through the gloom and debris littering the floor.

He could see Anjean at the opposite end of the building, down on her hands and knees, reaching for something trapped beneath a beam of wood. Since she was all the way over there, and he didn't see any monsters, Link thought it safe to say that there weren't any in here. Of course, that didn't mean that this place could serve as a shelter. The Cursed Bokoblins could still climb in the same way they had if the creatures had enough willpower to.

Link had just started forward when Anjean managed to grab whatever it was she was reaching for. She retracted her hand from underneath the wood, drawing out some kind of ash-covered object. She was too far away for Link to see what it was. Nonetheless, he could tell that, whatever it was, it was what Anjean was looking for by the way she began to tenderly brush off the grime coating it.

He was about to call out to her to let her know that they had to go, when the sound of powerful wing beats perked up his ears. His eyes were drawn to the darkening sky, obscured only by the occasional blackened piece of wood that used to be a support beam for the roof.

A large bird came into view, its burnt orange plumage fiery in the glow of the setting sun. Its tail trailed behind it like some decorative, filigreed streamer as it circled above the building. Link wasn't sure if this was a normal bird or a monster bird, but he wasn't interested in sticking around to find out.

He lowered his gaze and settled it back on Anjean just in time to see a Cursed Bokoblin creeping up on her. It must have snuck in from some other hole in the building while he'd been distracted.

Link bolted forward but already knew as he took his first step that he wouldn't make it in time.

"ANJEAN!" Link yelled her name in warning just as the monster raised its hand to grab her.

The purple-haired girl started at her name, or the tone of his voice, or both, and whirled around. Something flashed in her hand as she turned, her arm raised as if to protect her face, and suddenly the undead creature that was just a hair's breath away from touching her shot backwards, crashing into the wall with a mighty crack.

Link ground to a halt, mouth hanging open and eyes riveted to the spot where the Cursed Bokoblin had fallen. The others were outside. He was the only one in here with Anjean, but he hadn't touched it. He hadn't even been close. Did Midna do that? He glanced at his shadow, but it didn't offer any hints. Or… did Anjean do that? But how could she? She wasn't armed. The flash of light alighted in his mind's eye. Or was she?

"Let's go!" Anjean exclaimed, running past him and snapping him out of his shock.

"Wait!" Anjean didn't heed his call. She kept going and left Link behind, trusting that he would follow her. But Link was still trying to make sense of what he'd just witnessed and did not follow. Not until the shadow of the fire-colored bird from earlier fell over him, that is.

All it took was one glance upward to see the flames gathering at the bird's beak to animate him.

Link scrambled after Anjean, gritting his teeth as fire balls hurtled past him and connected with the wooden portion of the wall ahead.  _'Definitely a monster bird,'_ he decided grimly. The incredible heat and black smoke that resulted from the flames all but shoved the Hero of Twilight, coughing, out of the building.

No sooner than he sprinted out of the suffocating smoke did he run into a Cursed Bokoblin. It was much steadier on its feet than one would expect of a decaying creature, but Link was thankful for it since it meant it didn't go down, and he didn't either. He did, however, snatch his extremities away from the monster before it could bite him.

"Link!" Kid's voice spun him around to see his companions, Anjean included, making their way towards him through the field of Cursed Bokoblin bodies that he could only assume his counterpart had felled with the Hurricane Spin just moments ago.

Leaving the straggler monster to its own devices, Link hurried to meet everyone else.

"Are you okay?" Kid asked him.

"What did you leave Anjean by herself for?" Tetra demanded. "And how did you manage to set the building on fire?"

"I didn't-" Link began to protest, only to be cut off by an ear-splitting screech. Their attention was drawn to its source. The monster bird hovered above the burning building, beating its four feathery wings and parting the smoke around it like a rock in a river.

"Let'sgolet'sgolet'sgo!" Anjean urged them, pulling on Tetra's arm to hurry the pirate girl along.

"We're going," Zelda assured the panicked girl while Tetra shook her off irritably and began to run in the opposite direction of the smoking structure.

Kid fell into step beside Link as he ran after the girls, dodging the Cursed Bokoblins that were beginning to stir. "Where did that bird come from?"

"I don't know," Link replied. He found that he didn't know a lot things lately. "All I know is that it can shoot fire balls and doesn't like us being here."

Suddenly, he felt a pressure on his right ankle and tripped, falling hard onto the ground. He looked back to see one of the undead monsters grasping his ankle, attempting to crawl closer and opening its mouth to make a meal of him.

The Master Sword came down on the Cursed Bokoblin's skull before it could complete its mission, and Link leapt to his feet as soon as he felt the monster's grip loosen.

"Thanks," he thanked his counterpart, but Kid wasn't paying attention to him anymore. He was too focused on keeping seven more of the bloated monsters at bay. Stealing a glance beyond the boy battling the creatures, Link saw more Cursed Bokoblins shuffling closer. If they didn't move, they'd be overwhelmed.

Link grabbed Kid's sword arm before he could complete another swing and yanked him back, forcing the younger hero to abandon the monsters and run with him. "Forget that. Run and throw bombs!"

Kid had no reason to argue, and in moments, the two of them were doing exactly what Link had suggested, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Fortunately, the monsters that remained were slow and few in number so the girls weren't hindered by those they did encounter.

Nonetheless, the two heroes made sure to catch up to them, and soon all five of them were fleeing the scene as fast as their legs could carry them, avoiding the Cursed Bokoblins that arose from the shifting rubble at their feet and ignoring, to the best of their ability, the shifting rubble as well.

But they could not avoid or ignore the bird when it placed itself directly in their path.

"What kind of bird is this?" Kid wondered aloud, as they all stared up at the medium-sized monster that flapped before them, its long tail dangling and beady eyes regarding them in a menacing manner. Its head was reminiscent of a Kargarok, causing Link to believe that it fell somewhere in that monster family. And if so, arrows should work just fine.

He began to dig out his bow and arrows, his head snapping up when lavender light flickered in his peripherals, and Fi's droning voice reached his ears. His eyes instantly went to Anjean. The girl that had been cowering behind Tetra, much to the pirate captain's chagrin, was now staring openly at the sword spirit floating beside Kid.

He winced, turning back to his task.  _'That will be fun to explain later,'_ he thought. As he found and drew out his weapons, Link lent an attentive ear to Fi. According to her, this creature was known as a Furnix and was more of a spirit bird than a monster. If that was the case, Link wanted to know why it was attacking them. But he supposed that Ghirahim had just created his own version of this ancient bird and made it more bloodthirsty than it originally had been. Fi mentioned using a whip on its curved tail to bring it down to their level, but by then Link had already nocked an arrow and was aiming at the Furnix's chest. Seeing this, Fi added that it was also a viable method to dispose of the creature.

Link released the arrow, and it flew towards the fire bird's narrow chest as the creature reeled back its head in preparation to spew fireballs at them. His arrow reached it first, burying itself in its plumage and instantly puffing into ash.

"Further analysis indicates that this Furnix is not susceptible to arrows," Fi announced just as the Furnix snapped its head down and opened its curved golden beak, spitting out three balls of controlled flames.

Fi retreated to the Master Sword while Link and his companions scattered, their footing clumsy on the unstable debris. Thankfully, no one was sent aflame and turned to ash like his arrow had been.

"Ice arrows may be more effective," Zelda observed, throwing a meaningful look at Kid who just shook his head apologetically.

"I don't have any more magic left," he said.

"Don't you have a green potion on you?" Tetra demanded.

"Uh…" Kid began to dig through his adventure pouch in search of a potion that would recharge his magic energy, but they didn't have time for that. The hostile spirit bird was getting ready to attack them again.

"Forget it," Link told him, stuffing his bow and quiver back into his own adventure pouch. "We'll just have to bring it down to our level."

"We don't have a whip," Tetra objected.

"We don't need one," Link shot back, pulling out a clawshot from his belongings and aiming it at the Furnix's looped tail. Praying that he was correct, Link pressed the button to detach the claw. With the usual kickback, the claw launched, shooting away from him on a rattling silver chain and latching on to the loop at the end of the Furnix's impressive tail.

Without taking a moment to celebrate this small victory, Link tugged hard on the chain, forcibly pulling the Furnix to the ground.

"Get it!" he ordered his companions since he was afraid of letting go of his hold on its tail, lest it return to the sky.

Tetra, Kid, and Zelda rushed forward, all too eager to comply. It was pretty safe to say that this fire-spewing bird, perhaps with some minimal help from the Fire Keese from earlier, had burned this forest village to the ground, and for that, it would pay.

The assault of three sharp-edged weapons saw it dead in seconds, puffing into a cloud of purple smoke that quickly blended with the smoke from the rekindled fires littered all around them, swirling into the sky.

That done, they all made haste off of the mound of debris.

Once they hit the dirt road they knew to be safe, the five of them paused to catch their breath, looking back at the destruction they'd inadvertently caused in their escape. Scattered flames leaped and danced atop the seemingly endless stretch of debris, but the biggest blaze was the surviving building in the middle of the destroyed village. Once one side caught fire, it had continued to spread to the rest, and Link could hear the pops and cracks as the last of the building burned to the ground. No doubt that when it was through only the stone of its foundation would remain.

"Why is there a spirit in your sword, dear?" Anjean's inquiry caused them all to cringe and redirect their attention to the lavender-haired girl. Link was surprised to see that Anjean didn't appear freaked out in the least. In fact, her eyes were wide and sparkling with curiosity.

"Uh…" Kid trailed off, searching for an explanation he didn't have. "She's just…um, I don't know." To be honest, Link didn't either. All he knew was that Fi was a servant of the used-to-be-goddess Hylia. Why she was in the sword was beyond him.

Anjean nodded sagely as if she understood anyway, then fixed her gaze on Link. "Do you know why there's a spirit in your shadow?"

Link's confused gaze flicked down to his shadow. Midna. Was she talking about Midna? But that was impossible. Midna had stayed hidden ever since they'd found Tetra, so…

"Where did you get that idea?" he asked her, cautiously.

"Your shadow," Anjean answered as if it was obvious. But it wasn't.

"Alright, enough of the crazy talk," Tetra interjected. "Did you get what you needed?"

"Yup!" Anjean chirped happily, holding up a dirty wooden object hanging from an equally grimy braided cord around her neck. Link still couldn't tell what it was, or why it hadn't burned, for that matter. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah, let's get out of here," Tetra said, motioning them all forward. Glancing at the now twilit sky, Link knew that there was no way they would make it back to Linebeck before full dark.

As they began to trek back to the horses, Link couldn't stop replaying the scene he'd witnessed in the building earlier between Anjean and the Cursed Bokoblin in his mind. What had that flash of light been? A trick of the light? His imagination? Neither one of those things could throw a monster into a wall with such force. And it couldn't be a coincidence that it happened at the precise moment that Anjean whirled around. Only one thing would put his mind at ease.

"Hey, Anjean?"

The girl glanced over her shoulder at her name. "Yes?"

The image of the purple-haired girl cowering behind Tetra during the battle with the Furnix alighted in his mind's eye. Surely if she was armed, she wouldn't have been so scared. "Back in that building…when that monster almost grabbed you-"

"You let a monster get close to her?" Tetra cut him off in disbelief. She shook her head, as if he were hopeless. "I should have known better than to leave her with you."

"I didn't know there was a-" he cut himself off with a heavy sigh, knowing that if he continued to defend himself, he'd never get his question out. He turned back to Anjean. "How did you get it away from you?"

"I used this." Anjean pulled something out of one of her large blue sleeves and held it up for him to see. A wickedly sharp looking knife glinted in the half-light of twilight.

Tetra stopped dead. "Where'd you get that from?"

"I had it the whole time," Anjean replied innocently. Link couldn't take his eyes off the knife in her hand. No matter how sharp it looked, there was no arguing that the blade itself was small. Something so miniscule shouldn't have the power to pack such a punch. Unless it was enchanted…

"Then why'd you need us?!" Tetra exploded.

"Because there were too many soulless to handle on my own and… they scare me."

"And you never thought to mention that before?" Tetra fumed. Link could only assume that by 'soulless' Anjean meant 'monsters'.

"It was a test."

Tetra threw up her hands in exasperation. "A test!?"

Anjean nodded somewhat apologetically, stowing the knife away within her sleeve. Link couldn't help but wonder what else the young girl was hiding. "Don't worry, you all passed."

"I'm not worried about that!" Tetra exclaimed. "Why were you testing us?"

"Because I had to know if I could trust you or not. Usually, I can tell, but all of you are..." Anjean trailed off, searching for an appropriate word. Finally, she found it. "Different."

"Different how?" Tetra pressed, seeming to take Anjean's use of the word as an insult. Personally, Link could see exactly where Anjean was coming from. To Anjean, they were strangers wearing odd clothes and speaking with equally odd accents. Not to mention the fact that they were armed and had displayed on multiple occasions that they knew what they were doing and could potentially pose a lethal threat to the small girl despite the fact that she had a knife on her.

But Anjean didn't point out any of those things. "There are four of you, except there aren't. Right now there are four people in front of me." She pointed to each of them from left to right, as if counting them. "But I only  _see_  two."

Link was helplessly confused and glanced at Kid to see if his counterpart had understood any of Anjean's explanation, but Kid was equally lost.

Catching their perplexed expressions, Anjean giggled. "Confusing, isn't it? That's why I wasn't sure what to think myself."

"Please elaborate," Princess Zelda requested politely while Tetra just shook her head and let out a bewildered, "What?"

"Your souls," Anjean said. "They're the same."

"How would you know?" Tetra challenged her immediately, trying to mask her surprise because the rest of them weren't doing such a great job.

Anjean smiled. "Because I can see souls."

"Yeah, right," Tetra scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I can!" Anjean insisted. "I already knew there was a spirit in his sword," she nodded to Kid, "before she showed herself. And I know there's a vessel-bound spirit in your shadow so you  _must_  know it's there." She looked pointedly at Link and her round-eyed gaze somehow made him uncomfortable. Maybe it was because he couldn't deny what she was saying, and he also couldn't deny what that meant.

"Alright, what are you? A witch?" Midna relented, drifting up from the shadows and adopting a stance similar to Tetra's in the air. She probably hoped to scare the girl that had ruined her hiding place, but Anjean didn't seem startled at all by Midna's sudden appearance.

"Huh?" Anjean blinked. "No. I'm a Lokomo."

"Is that another word for a crazy person?" Tetra commented.

"Nope!" Anjean chirped happily as if she didn't detect Tetra's insult. "It's the name of my people."

"And your people can see spirits?" Zelda inquired.

Anjean shook her head. "Not all of them. Only those with The Eyes can see souls."

"What makes someone a Lokomo, then?" Kid wondered.

"Lokomo are beings blessed by the Spirits, and as such it is their sacred duty to protect The Realms and its people," Anjean explained proudly, her head held high, and hands folded before her, hidden within the folds of her sky blue sleeves. To Link, it sounded like she was reciting words from a teaching that had been ingrained into her brain for so long that its true meaning had been lost on her.

It was certainly lost on them, and Link found that he didn't mind so much when Tetra spoke up next. "What the heck does "beings blessed by the Spirits" mean?" Tetra interrogated the girl. "What spirits?"

A pink flush tinted Anjean's pale cheeks, and her proud stance deflated a bit. "Erm… _the_  Spirits."

"The Lokomo worship these spirits?" Zelda interjected, attempting to understand what Anjean was trying to say.

Anjean nodded vehemently, her eyes brightening at the princess's understanding. "Yes! It'd be sinful not to since they bless us with so much."

"What do they bless your people with?" Zelda inquired. Link had a feeling this was turning into a matter of religion. Just as he and other Hylians worshipped the Golden Goddesses, these people worshipped beings known as the Spirits.

"With strength and magic and long life spans," Anjean replied cheerfully. "We Lokomo can live for hundreds of years."

" _Hundreds_?" Link repeated, wondering if he'd heard her right. Earlier, he'd assumed, based off of Anjean's pointed ears and her possibly enchanted knife, that the Lokomo were just Hylians that weren't aware they were Hylians and so had adopted a different name. However, living hundreds of years was a feat even Hylians couldn't manage. Sure, he'd heard of the odd case or two in which some Hylians lived to be a hundred or older, but he'd never heard of anyone ever coming close to two hundred.

"Hundreds," Anjean confirmed with a nod.

The topic of age made Link wonder exactly how old Anjean was. He was about to ask her when Tetra gasped. "Hey! Wait a minute! If you knew that we shared souls then that means you were looking at our souls."

"Yes…" Anjean confirmed, somewhat cautiously due to Tetra's tone.

"Don't you think that's a bit  _rude_?" Tetra huffed.

The purple-haired girl blinked, taken aback. "I…don't think so."

"Well, I think so!" Tetra snapped. "You've no business peering into my soul or anyone else's without permission."

"But if I don't, how will I know who to trust and who not to?" Anjean wanted to know.

"You get to know people by  _talking_ to them," Tetra informed her in a haughty manner. "Not spying on them."

"People lie," Anjean countered. "Souls don't."

"How do you know they don't?" Tetra challenged her.

"Because if they did, everyone'd be able to see souls," Anjean claimed. "They're hidden for a reason."

"Yeah, because they're personal, and no one wants you peering into their soul," Tetra refuted.

"Plenty of people want me to peer into their souls," Anjean disagreed.

"Then they're equally insane as you are!"

"I'm not insane and neither are they." Anjean held out her hands towards Tetra. "If you'll grant me permission, I'll prove it to you."

"No way!" Tetra refused, backing away from Anjean. "Why ask my permission now when you've obviously already looked?"

Anjean shook her head, tucking her hands inside her sleeves. "I haven't been able to  _really_ look. I've only gotten glimpses. To truly evaluate anyone's soul, I have to be looking into their eyes."

"Why?" Kid wondered.

"Ever hear the saying, 'The eyes are the windows to the soul'?" Anjean asked him. When the Wind Waker nodded, she continued, "Well, it's true."

Tetra immediately directed her eyes to the ground, and Link found himself doing the same. The idea of someone peering into his soul was…well, unsettling. It was a part of him that even he couldn't see, and it seemed like an extreme violation of privacy to allow another person to see it.

"You have my permission," Zelda spoke up, stepping forward. Link snapped his head up just in time to see the delighted expression that came to life on Anjean's face.

"What?!" Tetra cried, shooting a baffled look at the Princess of Hyrule. "You're seriously letting her look at your soul?"

"I am curious to see what she can discern with her powers," Zelda returned calmly. The princess turned to Anjean. "What must I do?"

"Just look into my eyes, dear," Anjean said, smiling as she eagerly took the princess's hands in her own. "Don't look away or else you'll break the connection."

"May I blink?" Zelda inquired. Link could see by the set of her jaw that she was nervous, but he commended her for doing it at all. He wouldn't.

"Yes," Anjean answered. She paused, looking up at Zelda. "Ready?"

The princess gave a stiff nod, and Link couldn't help but watch as Anjean's eyes instantly transformed from a brown so dark they bordered on black to a brilliant violet.

It appeared as if the two of them were having a staring contest, except it was heavily one sided for Anjean didn't blink at all. Just before the pressing silence could squeeze them into permanent uncomfortableness, Anjean spoke, still peering intensely into the princess's pale blue eyes. "Your soul's ancient. Impossibly ancient, in fact. Such a soul shouldn't be housed in a human vessel at all. But...I see traces of divinity in your soul so maybe…that's why?"

The Lokomo girl gasped. "No. There's a curse binding your soul to others. So long as one exists, so will the others. For all eternity."

She paused for a moment, as if allowing them to take this in, before continuing with her examination. "I can also see that you possess magic of your own. It's an impressive supply, more than any non-Lokomo should have, so I can only assume that's a byproduct of your divinity.

"Earlier, I could catch a few attributes from your soul, but now I can see them all. Your soul is very wise and kind and just and bright. There's no sin blemishing it. Therefore, you're trustworthy."

Anjean's eyes faded back to their neutral brown, and she dropped Zelda's hands with a small exhale of breath, as if using her power to such an extent had drained her.

Link was sure that all their startled expressions matched. There was no denying Anjean's ability now. She couldn't have guessed any of that. Not Zelda's connection to being a goddess. And especially not the curse.

"Freaky," Midna commented, drawing Anjean's attention to her.

"Mm," the girl hummed in agreement. She turned back to Zelda. "I never expected to find that your soul was cursed  _or_  divine."

"I wasn't talking about her soul," Midna informed Anjean. "I was talking about  _you_."

"Oh…" Anjean trailed off. Suddenly, her eyes widened in understanding, and she shot a hurt look at Midna. "Hey!"

The Twilight Princess shrugged as if the insult slipping out of her mouth was beyond her control, which Link was tempted to believe, it was.

"What about you?" Anjean wondered. "Are  _you_  a witch?"

"No," Midna answered. "I'm a Twili, and that's all you need to know."

"What about your name, then, dear?" Anjean asked, cocking her head to the side with childish innocence.

"It's Midna," the Twilight Princess said curtly. "And don't call me 'dear'. It makes you sound like an old lady."

Anjean was so taken aback that she could only pout at the ground and mumble, "I'm not an old lady."

She quickly perked back up, though, the need for knowledge swirling in her warm brown eyes as she looked around at all of them. "How are the four of you sharing souls? Each soul is unique and there are no repeats so…how?"

"How do you know no souls repeat?" Tetra returned cheekily.

"Because other Lokomo with The Eyes know," Anjean replied. "It's a fact and there are no exceptions. So…so…" She gasped, her round eyes widening in realization. "Two of you aren't from this world at all!" She glanced at Midna. "Well…maybe more than two."

Link just barely stopped his jaw from dropping.

"I'm right, aren't I?" Anjean wondered, eyes shining with glee at their sudden determined silence.

"Yeah…" Link admitted after a few more moments of pressing silence, his voice barely a whisper, but Anjean's long ears ensured that she heard it.

Anjean turned to him, eyes wide with wonder and hands clasped together as if she was silently begging him to answer her questions. "Where are you from, then? How did you get here? It must have been some really advanced magic, right? Why are you here and not in your own world? Did-"

"Perhaps we'll share that story with you while we travel," Zelda suggested, cutting off the eager girl's barrage of questions. "For now, we must leave."

Link's eyes flicked to the sky, and he was shocked to see the first stars of the night winking back at him. They'd dawdled here for far too long.

As they began to stroll through the ruins as fast as possible, another concern popped into Link's head, and he voiced it immediately without breaking stride. "Anjean, do you know how to ride a horse?"

"Yes," she said, "but I'm afraid animals don't like me too much."

Link barely registered the second part of her answer. As long as she could ride, he could deal with the rest of it.

* * *

Dealing with the rest of it turned out to be a larger hassle than Link anticipated. Upon reaching the horses, the previously docile animals practically went berserk, tossing their heads and straining against the rope that connected them to each other and the trunk of a tree.

It took Link ten minutes just to soothe the animals and another fifteen to situate his companions atop them.

"Aren't you getting on?" Anjean asked him as he finished untying the horses and returned Kid's grappling hook to him.

Link shook his head. There was no room for a third person on either horse. "I'll catch up. Remember if the horse gets out of control again-"

"I know what to do," Anjean assured him with a smile. Link hoped she did, for her sake and Kid's. His counterpart fidgeted anxiously in his seat behind the Lokomo girl, clearly not trusting her to keep control of the horse.

But Link could tell by the way Anjean held herself that she did, indeed, know how to ride. The real question was how she'd ever been able to stay on a horse long enough to learn. Despite the fact that he had given her the gentler of the two horses to command, he could already see that it was getting antsy again.

Anjean sensed it too, for she suddenly faced forward, tightening her grip on the black and white horse's mane. "There's only one way to get it used to me and that's to let it run. Hold on!"

Kid barely had time to do just that before the young girl dug her heels into the horse's sides, and it bolted forward.

"Is she crazy?!" Tetra cried as Anjean's whoop of joy and Kid's terrified scream echoed back at them through the trees.

"Get going," Link ordered them, handing his lit lantern to Tetra so that they'd have some light to see by. "I'll catch up to them to make sure they're okay."

Midna was ready with the shadow crystal in hand before he'd even finished speaking. She waited until Zelda and Tetra took off before turning him into a wolf.

This time, the transformation wasn't as painful. The shadows that enveloped him were somewhat comfortable, and he was almost sad to see them go.

Nonetheless, he didn't linger on it. As soon as Midna claimed her spot on his back, he darted forward, weaving amongst the trees, his paws crushing fallen leaves and twigs.

There was very little light in the forest, but that didn't matter for him. He could see well enough in the dark, and even if he couldn't, the laughter would have guided him.

A minute later, he caught up to Anjean and Kid, both were laughing and still seated atop the horse which was a good sign. And yet, he felt his fur standing up on end and couldn't help but grit his teeth to suppress a growl.

"What are you doing?" Midna hissed into his left ear, which was flattened against his head. "Start acting like a wild animal, and you'll spook the horse."

He knew that, but the horse was spooking him. Or rather, the girl seated atop the horse was spooking him.

As a wolf, Link understood exactly why animals didn't like Anjean. Spirits swarmed around her like moths to a flame, and he knew that if he concentrated he'd be able to see more than just blobs of blue-white light. He didn't much care to, though.

Those spirits could be the spirits Anjean was talking about earlier, or they could be spirits from the burned down village they'd just left. Link wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle seeing either one. The former could turn out to be something horrific, and he'd seen enough horrific things today. The latter could be the ghosts of the men, women, and children he'd been too slow and incompetent to save. Neither would be good for his mental health.

He cringed as his ear was brutally tugged back. "Shh!" Midna ordered him, alerting him to the rumbling growl building in his throat. He stopped immediately, wrenching his gaze away from Anjean and to the forest floor. It helped if he didn't stare at her. Just a little bit.

It felt like forever until Zelda and Tetra caught up to them, but once they did, the chatter began, and Link tried to get lost in his companions' voices to distract himself as he trotted after them. His instincts screamed at him to turn tail and run.

" _It's not safe,"_ the beast inside him insisted. _"You'll die if you keep going."_

Link narrowed his eyes at the ground in front of him and didn't falter. The beast didn't know anything. It was an animal, and he was a human. He knew more than it did. Anjean wouldn't hurt him or anyone else, so there was nothing to be afraid of.

Even knowing that, Link found himself relieved when they emerged from the forest, and he had to farther distance himself from the group to ensure he wouldn't be detected by Anjean or the horses.

By the time he met up with his companions at the dock in his human form, the moon was nearing its peak in the sky, and Link was exhausted.

None of his companions seemed to notice as they walked across the dock to where Linebeck's ship was moored. They were too engaged in their conversation, and Link actually preferred that, for it meant Anjean was occupied eagerly asking Tetra, Kid, and Zelda questions about their recent adventures, so she didn't have time to question how exactly Link had managed to catch up to them so quickly on two legs.

He honestly didn't know what he'd tell the girl if she did ask. He didn't have to worry about that, though, for Anjean had found a new interest. Linebeck's ship.

"Where's the sail?" Anjean wondered as she hurried up the gangplank behind Tetra and spun in a circle with her head tilted back as if she believed the sail to be invisible.

"It's a steamship," Tetra supplied as Kid slipped past the two of them and headed inside to find the ship's captain. "No sails are needed."

As Anjean gazed around the vessel in awe, Link followed Zelda onto the ship, mildly wishing that he didn't have to return to the tropical world of water and swaying floorboards beneath his feet just yet.

Being able to embrace the familiar world of nature and solid ground had been refreshing, as had the cool weather. In fact, as Link settled himself against one of the posts, he noted that the night air was almost cold. It was nothing like the warm, often humid, nights on the Great Sea which led him to believe that this land changed with the seasons much like Hyrule did.

He leaned back, closing his eyes. If he pushed the throbbing of his muscles to the back of his mind and ignored the briny smell of the ocean and the shushing of the waves and the bobbing of the ship beneath him, Link could almost convince himself that he was relaxing in a familiar land.

A sharp screech startled him, and he clapped a hand to his right ear, attempting to rub the ringing out of it as his eyes snapped open and whipped around to rest on Anjean who was sitting a short distance away from him.

She cringed, an apologetic look on her face. "Oops. I guess I didn't clean it out well enough." His eyes instantly went to the object in her hands. It was considerably cleaner than before, enabling him to see the various colors that banded around each pale pipe that made up the object. All the pipes were connected by a carved, decorative piece, and a teal, beaded tassel swayed at each end.

"What is that?" Tetra wondered, massaging her own ears. "A torture device?"

"No, it's an instrument," Anjean replied, seeming completely oblivious to Tetra's sarcasm.

"Obviously you don't know how to play it," Tetra observed with a roll of her eyes.

"I know how to play," Anjean said, tapping the instrument with the heel of her hand to clear out whatever had obstructed the air flow. Though it was dark, Link could see dust falling out of it.

The cabin door suddenly burst open to reveal Linebeck. "What was that gods awful noise?"

"She was 'playing' her instrument," Tetra said with a smirk, putting air-quotes around the word "playing" and nodding at Anjean, who had abandoned her previous task and was now staring at Linebeck.

The sea captain took a long look at Anjean before turning to Tetra. "Make her keep it down. Some people are trying to sleep!"

"You're not sleeping," Tetra countered. "You're taking us back to the others. If we don't return tonight, they're going to get worried and do something stupid."

"That's not my problem," Linebeck returned.

"It will be," Tetra assured him, her tone poisonous. Such tactics wouldn't have worked on Link, but on Linebeck they worked wonders.

With a few muttered words, he turned and disappeared back inside, allowing only a couple seconds for Kid to slip out before the door slammed shut.

A beat of silence and then: "I don't like him." Anjean's tone was casual, matter of fact.

"Don't take it personally," Kid told her. "He just-"

"He's greedy," Anjean declared, returning to tapping the side of her instrument like she was sifting flour.

"Ugh! Stop looking at people's souls already," Tetra admonished her. Anjean didn't pay her any mind. She simply continued with her cleaning.

"What kind of instrument is that?" Kid asked, stepping away from the closed door and coming closer to where the rest of them were gathered.

"It's a pan flute," Anjean replied.

"Is it supposed to sound like it did earlier?" Kid wondered.

"No." Anjean gave the pan flute one final shake. "It's supposed to sound like this." She raised the instrument to her mouth, closed her eyes, and blew.

For a second, nothing happened. Then, a wispy sound, like someone barely blowing any air into a bottle, floated into Link's ears.

By Anjean's furrowed brow, Link could deduce that this wasn't the sound the instrument was supposed to be making, so he kept watching the young girl as she continued to blow into one of the pan flute's pipes.

Eventually, the pipe cleared and a deep, pleasant note exploded into being. The Lokomo girl held the note for a little longer before moving on to the next pipe in line, giving it her breath until the sound it produced satisfied her. She repeated this process for the remaining four pipes, and once they were all clear, she played a scale, first up, then down.

Link expected her to launch into a song, but Anjean returned to playing one note at a time. From what he could hear, the sounds the instrument was making now were correct, so he couldn't imagine that she was still testing it.

Tetra must have felt the same way, for after another minute of Anjean playing one note for an extended amount of time she asked, "Do you know any songs?"

"Yes," Anjean answered, momentarily lowering the pan flute to answer.

"Then why aren't you playing a song?" Tetra demanded.

Anjean lowered the instrument once more. "Because I'm doing something else."

"Which is?" Tetra's question was answered by Anjean's pan flute and the pirate girl gave up talking to the Lokomo girl with a huff.

For the life of him, Link couldn't figure out Anjean. One minute she was wide-eyed and curious, and the next she was all business and flashing eyes. Well, the flashing eyes part may not be true. She currently had her eyes closed so he couldn't tell if they were a normal color or not, but regardless, he had no idea what to expect from her, and that unsettled him just as much as seeing those spirits floating around her like fireflies earlier did.

As they pulled away from the dock and Anjean continued playing her pan flute, Link took comfort in the fact that they wouldn't have to foster the strange girl much longer. Once they arrived at Papuchia, they would go their separate ways and never have to see her again.


	20. Guardian of the Ocean Realm

"Ugh!" Tetra groaned. "If you don't stop, I'm going to take that stupid thing and throw it into the sea!"

The deep note Anjean had been holding abruptly cut off, and she lifted her head, settling her gaze on Tetra. "No, you won't."

"Try me," Tetra growled.

"Tetra, leave her be," Zelda advised her counterpart.

Tetra whipped her head around to glare at the princess. "No, you can't say it isn't annoying!"

Personally, Kid wasn't bothered by Anjean's performance. Sure, it was strange that she insisted on sustaining one note for an extended period of time, but she wasn't harming anything by doing it, and all the notes were in tune.

"There isn't even any point to what she's doing," Tetra griped, returning her glare to the purple-haired girl who was currently sizing the pirate captain up with her round eyes.

"There is a point," Anjean refuted evenly.

"Then share it with us," Tetra invited her.

Anjean hesitated a second before saying, "I'm trying to contact the guardians of each realm." She lowered her eyes to the instrument in her hands. "But none of them are answering me."

"How can an instrument contact people?" Kid wondered, genuinely curious. He knew that instruments could contain magic, but usually that magic was reserved for tasks like opening up locked doors and powering up ancient swords.

"This is a sacred instrument, the Spirit Flute," Anjean explained, holding up the pan flute so they could all see it. "Each Realm Guardian has a sacred instrument of their own, and playing it opens up a telepathic link. Each pipe on the Spirit Flute correlates to a guardian so whichever one I blow into, that's the guardian I open a telepathic link with, provided I hold the note long enough. But…I've tried them all and nothing."

"Maybe they're ignoring you." Tetra smirked. "You're certainly annoying enough."

Kid expected Anjean to react in some way to Tetra's jibe, but she didn't. She simply continued staring at the Spirit Flute as if willing it to give her the answers she sought. "They wouldn't do that."

"Anjean, if you have a sacred instrument, then are _you_  a guardian?" Link asked.

Anjean gasped as if someone had dumped cold water on her. "Eh!? N-no. I'm not."

The Lokomo girl's response was too hasty to not be suspicious, and Tetra was quick to call her out on it. "Then why do you have a sacred instrument?"

Anjean shook her head furiously as if shaking off Tetra's question. "Tell me, have any of you heard anything about the Guardian of the Ocean Realm?"

"No, but it seems like you know a lot about the guardians, so you should start explaining. What does it even mean to be a Realm Guardian?" Tetra returned indignantly.

"Realm Guardians are responsible for protecting the people in their assigned realms and ensuring that everything runs smoothly," Anjean supplied.

"Then the Ocean Realm Guardian is doing a crappy job. There were a bunch of monsters in the water earlier," Tetra pointed out, causing Kid to glance uneasily at the nearly black waves. They hadn't seen any sea monsters yet, but that didn't mean they could let their guard down. Monsters were always more active at night.

"That's why I'm worried," Anjean confirmed, a crease of concern drawing her brows together. "So…let's go to the Ocean Sanctuary to check on him."

"No way," Tetra refused, crossing her arms over her chest to signal that she wouldn't be swayed on the matter. "We already wasted enough time helping you get that instrument of yours, and I'm already regretting that. We are not making any more detours. We're going to Papuchia Village, and that's final."

Anjean blanched, a feat that was quite impressive considering how pale she already was, and shot to her feet. "Not Papuchia! You can't take me there!"

"Why not?" Tetra wondered, raising an eyebrow in faux interest.

"Because…because…" Anjean clutched the pan flute to her chest, and Kid was surprised to see the beginnings of tears shine in her eyes. She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "You just can't!" Her expression turned pleading. "The Ocean Sanctuary is just beyond Papuchia. It isn't far, honest! You don't even have to stay. Just drop me off."

Tetra didn't even contemplate the Lokomo girl's offer. "No."

"Uh, we can take you there in the morning, though," Kid piped up hastily upon seeing Anjean's face crumple in a tearful, pouty fashion that wasn't unlike his little sister's whenever she grew upset.

"No, no. I need to go there  _now_ ," Anjean insisted.

"What's so bad about Papuchia?" Link questioned her. "The people there are nice enough."

"I don't know anyone there!" Anjean cried.

"You barely know  _us_ ," Tetra pointed out.

"I don't have anywhere to stay," Anjean added miserably.

Tetra released an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes. "You can stay with us for the night. And as Kid said, we'll take you to the sanctuary place in the morning, so don't worry about it."

By looking at Anjean's distraught expression, Kid could tell she was worrying about it anyway. He didn't blame her. He'd been just as distraught earlier when Tetra had disappeared.

He glanced at his best friend. He didn't know what he'd do if he lost her, and not being able to look for her would have crushed him, so he could understand Anjean's plight. Besides, she'd lost so much already. The prospect of losing any more must have been torture.

Though Kid knew it wouldn't mean much, he did his best to reassure the upset girl. "I'm sure the guardian's fine."

"Then why isn't he answering me?" Anjean asked, her voice practically begging him to provide her with the truth.

Unfortunately, he didn't know the truth. He could only guess. "Um, well…it is kinda late. Maybe he's sleeping?"

"That shouldn't matter," Anjean whispered, dropping her eyes to the ground. "He should still hear me."

Kid dropped his eyes to the floorboards as well, wishing that he knew what to say to cheer her up. But sometimes there was just nothing to be said.

The rest of the ride passed in relative silence, which was preferable to screaming, and, to their fortune, no sea monsters or pirates disturbed them. That fact should have made Kid happy, but it didn't. No matter where he looked, his eyes always drifted back to Anjean's dejected form, huddled against a post, her face buried in her knees, and guilt wrapped around his heart and squeezed. It was their fault she was homeless and alone right now.

As they drew closer to the dock at Papuchia, the transformation night had brought to the seaside village momentarily distracted Kid from his guilt. Tall poles that harbored fire at their tips burned at regular intervals among the many isles that made up the village, brightening the night and reflecting off the water, making the village seem almost otherworldly. It was lively too, or at least, more lively than he expected it to be at this late hour.

People were out and about for, Kid could only assume, a nightly stroll. There were even people on the docks, though that wasn't so strange. Tetra's crew had to be worried by now. However, when they dropped anchor at the docks, it wasn't Tetra's crew that were waiting for them, but some of the men from before, along with some women.

Kid shared an uncertain glance with Tetra as the gangplank was lowered. What did these people want from them? Maybe they didn't recognize them or Linebeck's ship since it was dark.

But as he disembarked the S.S. Linebeck with Tetra, Link, and Zelda, it became apparent that the welcoming party wasn't for them.

"Anjean!" the men and women called, their tones frantic, yet hopeful. They surged forward, the group of them instantly overwhelming the small girl who stood rigid at the top of the gangplank, her hands folded together and hidden within her sleeves. The only motion came from Anjean's eyes, which were blazing with violet fire, assessing the people before her as they fired question after question her way.

"What's happened?"

"Why are there monsters in the sea?"

"What's going on?"

"Why are you here alone?"

"Are those people safe?" Uncertain glances were shot their way.

"Never mind that!" another voice shouted above the rest. "The guardian needs you, Anjean."

Suddenly the tone was very different, urgent, and there was a large wave of agreement. "Yes! Come with us!"

"Quickly now!"

"Hurry!"

In a matter of seconds, Anjean was enveloped within the center of the villagers' group and whisked away from the docks to goddesses only knew where.

Kid and his companions were left to stare after the retreating forms in bewilderment.

"For not knowing anyone here, those people seemed to know her well," Link commented, and Kid nodded in agreement, his eyes glued to the figures moving farther and farther away.

"And since that's the case, she'll be fine," Tetra concluded, turning on her heel to head towards the pirate ship.

The rest of them followed her in mutual agreement, though Kid couldn't help but wonder if Anjean really would be fine with those villagers. As Link had said, they seemed to know her well, but if that was the case, then why did Anjean lie? Did the people here abuse her? That seemed unlikely. From what Kid had witnessed, the Papuchians hadn't been hostile towards her at all, just worried for her well-being and strangely insistent.

As Kid stepped foot on the pirate ship, his worries quickly faded to the back of his mind, replaced by the priorities of food and sleep, as well as the need to explain to the heckling pirates what had happened on their little excursion to the Forest Realm.

By the time he did settle into his bed for the night, Kid had almost erased the image in his mind of the homeless girl huddled against a post. Almost.

* * *

"You have been summoned by the Guardian of the Ocean Realm. Please, come with us."

Tetra peered down at the three men standing stiffly on the dock below, spears held like soldiers' staffs at their sides, and simply raised her eyebrows as if she believed them to be pulling some kind of prank, which, considering that the sun had barely risen, was a very real possibility.

The spokesman of the group cleared his throat. "Now."

A scowl settled itself onto Tetra's face, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You must," the spokesman insisted.

"Says who?" Tetra snapped. "The guardian?"

"Yes."

"Tell him that if he wants to talk so bad, then he should come to us," Tetra declared with finality.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kid saw Princess Zelda open her mouth to interject, but the man spoke up before she could, struggling to maintain a polite tone. "He is incapacitated at the moment, Miss."

"Likely story," Tetra scoffed.

"Please, if you will, give us a moment," Zelda implored, stepping forward.

The men exchanged looks but didn't openly protest, and Zelda took that as her invitation to usher Tetra away from the rail, and Kid pulled back along with the only two pirates who were up at this early hour.

"I do not think visiting the guardian is such a bad idea," the princess said. "He must know more than most in this realm and if so, he can help us decide our next course of action."

"We already know what our next course of action is," Tetra shot back, surprising the Hero of Winds because  _he_  certainly didn't know what they were doing next. "We're going to find Ghirahim and kill him. We don't need to waste time talking to some guardian."

"May I remind you, we are not prepared to meet him in battle, and we have no clue as to where he is," Zelda countered. "Besides, getting to know the locals wouldn't be a bad idea."

"How does this guardian even know about you?" Nudge interjected, his cautious tone suggesting that he did not completely agree with Zelda. "You didn't meet him before, did you?"

They all shook their heads and lapsed into ponderous silence.

"Anjean?" Kid ventured after a moment. Though last night was very much a blur, Kid did recall the worried villagers saying something about a guardian.

"Oh, I'll kill her," Tetra seethed. "If she-!"

"One thing at a time," Zelda advised sagely. "Let's go meet this guardian and hear what he has to say."

"Is it safe?" Niko worried.

"Why do you care? You're not going," Tetra snapped. She turned to Kid. "Go get Link up, and make it quick. I want to get this over with."

Kid nodded and left to do as he was told. As he strolled hastily through the lower levels of the ship towards the crew's sleeping quarters, Kid mused that it was funny how his counterpart was the one sleeping in this time. Usually it was him. Then again, most of the pirates weren't awake yet either, and Kid himself was only awake because he'd had trouble sleeping.

Upon reaching the sleeping quarters, Kid quickly roused Link and filled him in on the situation. The Hero of Twilight met the summoning with the same skepticism as Tetra but got ready to go nonetheless.

A handful of minutes later, Kid, Tetra, Zelda, and Link found themselves being escorted to the guardian by the three men that had been ordered to fetch them. As they marched off of the docks and into the village, Kid instantly knew something had changed.

The atmosphere was vastly different. It hadn't exactly been welcoming to begin with, but now it was almost…ominous. There were very little people roaming the village, and those that were outside stared at them openly. Perhaps in awe. Perhaps in distrust. Definitely in something that Kid couldn't put a name to.

Whatever it was, it encouraged him to bow his head, scoot closer to his companions, and walk faster. He could tell that Tetra felt it too, for he caught her hand straying to her crimson bandana, seeking comfort from the shard of wisdom hidden beneath the cloth.

By the time they reached a dwelling, no more or less remarkable than the others, and their escorts stepped aside, motioning for them to enter, Kid all but ran up the wooden steps and inside, if only to escape the uneasy feeling that seemed to hang like a pall over the entire village.

"Ah, about time." Kid jumped, having momentarily forgotten that they were here to meet someone. His gaze whipped around to rest on a relatively young looking man lounging on a sea green couch. The first thing Kid noticed was the man's hair. It was blue. Not blue like the sea, or even the sky, but blue like a robin's egg, and it stuck up straight atop his head, like a dollop of cream.

"Look, here's the deal," the blue-haired man began, straightening and putting his hands on his knees. "I'm not good at introductions. The name's Carben, and I'm the Guardian of the Ocean Realm."

"You're a Lokomo," Tetra observed, taking a cautious step closer to the guardian.

"Of course I am. All guardians are Lokomo. Didn't Anjean tell you that?"

They all shook their heads. Anjean hadn't told them very much about the Lokomo at all. If Carben was a Lokomo as well, though, Kid could identify some key traits. One seemed to be oddly colored hair, coupled with a particularly long pointed nose and round, almost owlish, eyes. Lokomo were short in stature too. At least, from what he'd seen of Anjean and Carben. Anjean was even shorter than he was, and though Carben was sitting at the moment, Kid didn't see the man being any taller than Link when standing.

It also seemed like the Lokomo favored long, billowing sleeves, for Carben sported a sapphire blue tunic with sleeves much like Anjean's, except that the ends of his were splashed with wavy white, like the surf of the sea licking the shore. Unlike, Anjean, though, he wore cerulean capris, knotted with white rope at the ends, and white sandals on his feet. Kid also couldn't help but notice the buckle of his belt. It was a circular wheel, much like the clip Anjean wore in her hair, but it was a steely blue and grey with a dot of teal in the middle. Kid wondered if it was some sort of sacred symbol for the Lokomo.

Carben threw an irritated look at the ceiling as if silently cursing the heavens for his fellow Lokomo's incompetence. He lowered his gaze, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his long nose. "Tell me she at least told you who she is."

"She told us her name…and that she's a Lokomo," Kid spoke up helpfully.

Apparently, this wasn't what Carben wanted to hear, for he flung his hands to the sky in exasperation. "Unbelievable!"

"Who is she?" Tetra asked.

"Believe it or not, she's the leader of the Lokomo," Carben informed them.

Kid couldn't mask his surprise. It wasn't that he didn't believe that kids his age could be in such positions -just look at Tetra!- but Anjean didn't strike him as the type. Sure, she had soul-seeing powers, which was freaky, yet intriguing in the same breath, but he hardly saw how that had any connection to leading an entire group of people, especially if other people had the same power as she'd claimed.

Tetra couldn't seem to believe it either. "She's the leader?"

"That's what I said," Carben said, sounding bored.

"But we found her at a burned down village in the middle of a forest," Link protested. "Shouldn't the leader of the Lokomo live in a more…secure place?"

"Oh, she does," Carben assured them.

The Hero of Twilight furrowed his brow in confusion. "Then what was she doing at that village?"

"I'm still waiting on that explanation myself," Carben returned.

"Where is Anjean at the moment?" Zelda inquired, and Kid couldn't help but glance around the house, almost expecting to find that the Lokomo girl was hiding somewhere.

"She's doing some soul-checking for me," Carben said casually as if they had any idea what that was. "I plan on asking her about her whereabouts when she returns."

"Well,  _I'm_  still waiting on the explanation for why you brought us here," Tetra scowled, evidently unimpressed with Carben's intentions.

"Anjean told me about you, and I wanted to meet you." Carben cleared his throat and muttered his next words as if they brought him great embarrassment. "And also to thank you for looking after our troublesome leader."

"She told you about us? What did she say?" Tetra pressed, completely ignoring Carben's ill-expressed gratitude.

"She said that there's six of you, and since I only see four right now, that's a bit rude, wouldn't you say?" Carben shot an expectant look at Kid, and for a moment the guardian Lokomo's intense gaze made him uncomfortable. Then he realized that the Lokomo man was not looking at him but the sword on his back.

"Fi," Kid said, calling out the sword spirit. She came to float beside him and Carben nodded, satisfied, before turning his gaze to the ground, where their shadows lay.

Reluctantly, Midna edged out of the shadows, arms crossed over her chest.

"That's better," Carben proclaimed.

"What else did she say?" Tetra asked, her tone suggesting Carben continue before she lost her patience.

"Just your names and that you four," he looked from Kid, to Zelda, to Tetra, to Link, "share souls and that four of you are from another world. Also that your souls are cursed and that yours," he looked pointedly at Tetra and Zelda, "have traces of divinity in them, as well as a copious supply of magic, which is an impressive feat for anyone, truth be told.

"She also told me that all of you are the ones responsible for what's befallen our land."

Kid cringed inwardly at that. Was Carben intending to punish them for it?

"We didn't do it on purpose!" Tetra cried defensively, and Kid nodded vehemently in agreement.

Carben smirked. "Never said you did."

"Then why-"

The Guardian of the Ocean Realm cut off Tetra with a wave of his hand. "You intend to right your wrongs, do you not?"

"Yes," Kid replied automatically as Tetra chimed in with a very blunt "Of course!" and their elder companions nodded.

"Then you're forgiven, and I'm sure Anjean wouldn't mind relinquishing the Realms to your care when all is said and done."

"Wha-" Tetra's breath was momentarily stolen from her lungs. When it came back, Tetra wasted no time using it. "What?! She told you I -!"

"Carben!" Anjean's call pulled their attention to the entrance. The wooden door slammed shut behind the young Lokomo leader whose face was twisted into a look of hurt. "You said you wouldn't talk to them without me!"

Carben ignored Anjean's protest and struggled to his feet, striding stiffly over to the purple-haired girl with purpose. "So?"

"You shouldn't be up and moving around yet, dear," Anjean said, concern coating her words like honey does a bee hive.

Carben placed his hands on Anjean's shoulders and peered into her eyes, the epitome of serious. "Tell me, did you find anything?"

Anjean expelled a sigh. "No. Everyone checks out. Now, what's this about?"

"Are you positive?" Carben pressed.

"Yes."

"Absolutely certain?"

"Yes!"

"And you checked  _everyone_?"

" _Yes."_ Anjean stressed, reaching up to grasp Carben's wrists and gently push him off of her. She clasped the Ocean Realm Guardian's hands in her own. "I did just what you told me to, and I promise you, there's nothing-"

"Good." Carben freed himself from Anjean's grip and grabbed the girl's arm, marching her to the door as fluidly as he was able. "Come, quickly."

Kid shared uncertain looks with his companions, and in seconds they came to the mutual agreement to follow the two Lokomo out of the house, Midna and Fi concealing themselves from the naked eye once more.

There were many more Papuchian villagers outside now than there were earlier, but that wasn't what commanded Kid's attention and the attention of every other person in the vicinity. It was Anjean and Carben that were the attraction. The two Lokomo stood completely still, facing one another with a respectable distance between them. Both held instruments, Anjean her pan flute and Carben a rod-like instrument painted a navy blue.

With all eyes fixated on him, Carben raised his instrument to his mouth and began to play a relaxing melody that flowed as easily as the breeze over the sea. Anjean chimed in a simple procession of ascending notes with her own instrument, but its low tones tied so well into Carben's trill-like playing that it seemed as if the tune was composed of one part rather than two.

The song was pleasant to the ear, though Kid had no idea why they were playing it. As the two Lokomo continued to perform, a shimmering light swirled above their heads, growing larger and larger until it burst, like a blossom opening its petals. The shimmering light fell like millions of stars, encasing the entire village in a dome of iridescence.

Cheering and applause arose from around them as Anjean and Carben completed the song, holding out their final notes and letting them taper off into the ocean air.

"Please, go about your business as usual," Carben invited the villagers, his voice strong and commanding, yet gentle. "Be wary of the water, though. The protection Anjean and I have just cast is limited to this village. Outside of it, the danger is still very much present."

The villagers smiled, and Kid couldn't help but smile with them. The atmosphere itself was much lighter than it had ever been. A healthy chatter started up among the adults, and the children took that as a signal to leave their parents' sides and play amongst themselves, adding their chiming laughter to the air.

"Come inside, all of you," Carben ordered, strolling past them towards the house. "We have much to discuss."

As soon as they all reentered the abode and the door shut behind them, Anjean spoke, nervously clutching the Spirit Flute. "Carben, really, what's going on?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Tetra glowered, placing a hand on her hip and staring down the two Lokomo, one of which looked frightened, the other bored. "What's up with not telling us you were the leader?"

Anjean gasped, stricken, and whirled around to face Carben. "You  _told_  them?"

"You should've." Carben shrugged, unsympathetic.

"Exactly," Tetra added, equally unsympathetic, "so why didn't you?"

The leader of the Lokomo directed her sorrowful gaze to the floor and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to make herself as small as possible. "I…wanted you to be my friends. I didn't think you would, if you knew."

Kid had no idea what her being the leader of her people had anything to do with them being her friends.

Tetra didn't get it either. "Why?"

"Because everyone else…they know who I am, and my status blinds them. To them, I'm a leader, someone to be protected, or feared, or revered. But not a friend. Never a friend..."

"I don't care about status," Tetra scoffed. "Why would you think any of us," she gestured to Kid and the rest of them, "would care about status considering who we told you we were?" Never mind that they'd told her about their own identities as heroes and princesses somewhat reluctantly and in confidence that she wouldn't tell anyone else. Or that if she did, no one would believe her.

Anjean raised her head to study them and the warring emotions on her face told Kid that she didn't rightly know why she had lied. Kid thought he knew, though. She saw a chance to make real friends for once and took it. Giving them the information that had stolen away countless friends before was a risk she hadn't been willing to take.

"I'm sorry," Anjean apologized finally. "Can you forgive me?"

Her miserable expression coupled with her story of woe gave them all little choice, or at least it gave Kid little choice, but to forgive her. To be fair, if she hadn't been able to see souls, they probably wouldn't have told her as much as they had about themselves.

Tetra was somewhat more reluctant to forgive and forget. "Fine, but don't lie to us anymore."

"I won't," Anjean pledged, a smile brightening her face. "I promise."

"Good, then start by telling us what's going on," Tetra ordered her. "What was that thing you two just did?"

Anjean's hand went to her pan flute, as if in remembrance of the music. "It was a sacred duet. Performing one requires at least two Lokomo with sacred instruments, like my Spirit Flute and Carben's Seishin Flute. It generates energy which can then be directed into a spell. Carben directed it into a spell to protect Papuchia Village. I don't know why, though." At this, the lavender-haired girl's gaze drifted to Carben, who had reclaimed his seat on the couch.

"There's a traitor amongst us, that's why," Carben declared, taking the hint from Anjean to explain his actions. "The spell specifically guards against evil spirits, which is what we're dealing with."

Anjean furrowed her brow. "But…that's impossible. I haven't seen or sensed any evil spirits. Well, not vessel-less ones, anyway. Are you trying to say that there's been a breach?"

"No, I'm saying, it's deliberate," Carben returned. "Vivian, for whatever reason, is sending evil spirits to possess the other guardians."

Anjean gasped. "No. She wouldn't."

"Who's Vivian?" Kid wondered.

"Vivi's the guardian of the Dark Realm," Anjean explained, sparing him a glance. "She's supposed to guard the gate and ensure the evil spirits and demons stay where they're supposed to. If any escape, she's to send it back to the Dark Realm, or alert the rest of us so that we can help her remove it."

"There's a Dark Realm? Why didn't we hear about this before?" Link interjected.

"Because many don't know it exists," Carben answered him. "And we like to keep it that way for obvious reasons."

"If such a realm does exist, it must emit some negative energy, correct?" Zelda added. "And if so then perhaps Ghirahim was attracted to it and corrupted the guardian there." Kid nodded in agreement along with Link and Tetra. It was plausible.

"Yes! He must have!" Anjean agreed. "Vivi wouldn't do anything bad like that of her own free will. She's good. I've seen her soul."

"That doesn't mean anything," Carben muttered. "Good souls can be corrupted."

"Have you seen her soul lately?" Anjean challenged him.

"No, and I don't want to. If you see her, don't engage. Get as far away from her as possible," Carben advised her.

"How do you know she's the one that's been sending evil spirits to possess the others if you haven't seen the condition of her soul?" Anjean pressed, seeming to ignore Carben's warning.

"Because Rael managed to warn me before he was possessed. He told me not to trust her, and that's what I'm doing. If she reaches out to you, don't say a word back. Ignore her, Anjean."

"But-"

" _Ignore_ her," Carben reiterated, and Anjean hung her head.

"Why is this lady possessing people?" Midna asked, floating up from the shadows. "Who gains anything from that?"

"If we guardians are possessed by evil spirits, the Force Gem in each of our realm's temples becomes corrupted with negative energy," Carben stated gravely.

"And Force Gems are…?" Tetra asked, her tone suggesting Carben finish the sentence for her.

Carben sighed, obviously irritated by their cluelessness, but complied anyway. "Force Gems are generated by a soul's positive energy. When a soul is touched by happiness and gratitude, energy is created and that energy manifests into a Force Gem. Ordinary Force Gems are a symbol of a soul's contentment and often serve to make other people happy as well. The Force Gems that lie within the temples are special because they reflect pieces of each realm guardian's soul and provide positive energy to the Tower of Spirits, where the rest of the Lokomo live.

"Aside from us Realm Guardians and our leader, Lokomo draw the majority of their power from the Tower. But with the Force Gems in the temples corrupted, every other Lokomo no longer has access to much of their powers, which would make Vivian the most powerful Lokomo of us all."

As Carben paused to let his words sink in, Kid couldn't help but think back to the magnificent tower he'd seen in the Forest Realm. Could that be the tower that Carben was talking about? It didn't hurt to ask. "Is the Tower of Spirits visible from the Forest Realm?"

"Yes, it's visible from every realm in some way since it's situated in the exact center of the Realms," Carben explained. He turned his attention to Anjean. "And it's where you're supposed to be right now, so why aren't you?"

Anjean raised her head and this time her eyes weren't filled with hurt or hope or joy, but fear. When she spoke, her voice was hushed. "Because the demon is there."

"Ghirahim?" Link asked, shocked just as much as the rest of them. Kid certainly didn't think it'd be quite so easy to track him down.

Anjean nodded solemnly, her hands clasped under her chin as if holding it up herself was too much work. Kid knew that his head felt heavy with that news. The tower was far, but not far enough. They weren't ready to face Ghirahim yet.  _He_  wasn't ready.

"Could you tell us how he came to be there?" Zelda requested gently.

"And how you ended up at that village they found you at?" Carben added, not quite as gently.

Anjean drew in a deep breath and held it for a second before expelling it in a whoosh of air. "Four days ago…I got a bad feeling, and at once I knew that something was wrong with the tower. There was less power than before. I tried all I could to figure out what was going on, but then…two days later, I felt something evil enter the tower." Anjean shook her head as if trying to discard the memory. She couldn't get rid of it, though, so she continued to talk, her voice tight. "The phantoms turned against us first. Then all kinds of soulless showed up, and it was like… a war.

"Everyone was fighting, and I set out to find the source of all the chaos. His energy…it was so strong and horrible that it was easy to find him. But… he didn't pay any attention to me. He was calling for our leader, and…I was going to let him know it was me, but the others didn't let me. Not even when everyone found themselves with very little power, and we became prisoners in our own home. Or when he started threatening to kill Lokomo until I came forward. Or… when he did start killing people.

"They wouldn't let me say anything. They just conserved the little power they had left and used it to help me escape the tower.

"Then I ran to find help. But first I had to hide because the demon was sending an army of soulless out of the tower. I didn't realize it at first, but I dropped the Spirit Flute when I ran out and a soulless picked it up. When it was safe, I tracked it to a village. But by the time I got there, it was all burned and gone. No one was left.

"I figured out where the soulless had dropped the Spirit Flute, but I couldn't get it back on my own. Then I heard all of you." Anjean's teary gaze went to them. "And I hid, and I watched, and I was so scared. I wasn't sure if I could ask for your help because of what I saw in your souls. I'd never encountered anything like that before, so I didn't know if I could trust any of you. And…well, you know the rest." Anjean finished, dropping her tear-filled eyes to the floor.

Silence invaded the room like an unwelcome guest. Kid felt numb. Ghirahim had actually killed people. And the Lokomo had let it happen. All for Anjean.

"What did he want you for?" Midna wondered, her tone hushed, but suspicious.

"I don't know," Anjean whimpered. "I don't know. But I have to fix it. I have to stop him. I'm the leader… so it's my responsibility, but… I don't know how."

"We'll help you," Kid assured her, determination to make things right swelling in his chest. He couldn't fix things he'd messed up in the past, but he could fix this. He  _would_ fix this.

Anjean raised her head and met his eyes, her own eyes still shiny with tears. "Really?"

He nodded, and Zelda chimed in, "Of course."

"Yeah, it's kinda our fault he's here anyway." Tetra sighed, folding her hands behind her head and stretching as if she was loathe to admit it.

"Don't worry, we'll get rid of him for good, and we'll return peace to this land," Link added with a reassuring smile.

"Not like we have anything better to do," Midna teased with a wry grin.

"Oh, thank you!" Anjean exclaimed, beaming through the tears dripping down her cheeks.

"If you really intend on helping us, then you'll need a plan, won't you?" Carben interjected.

"Uh, yeah," Link agreed, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "We're working on it."

"Let me help you with that," Carben said. "See, by what Anjean just told us, I'll bet this demon has placed a barrier around the tower." He threw a glance at Anjean. "Correct?"

She nodded, wiping at her face with one of her blue sleeves.

"Which means no one's getting in or out easily. To get in, you'll need to break the barrier," Carben informed them.

"So how do we do that?" Tetra asked.

"Be patient, I'm getting there," Carben snapped. "I can only talk so fast, and it doesn't help when you interrupt."

Tetra crossed her arms and harrumphed but said nothing more.

"You'll need to free all the guardians from the evil spirits possessing them. Once that's done, the barrier surrounding the Tower of Spirits should be broken by the influx of positive energy, or at least weakened to the point where you can break it yourselves.

"How you defeat the demon, however, is entirely on you."

"Don't worry, we've got that part covered," Link assured him.

"Where can we find these guardians?" Zelda queried.

"Each guardian has a sanctuary," Carben replied. "They should be there. If not, try the temples."

"Do you have a map, perchance?"

Zelda's latest question gave Carben pause, and his gaze roved around the room, delving for an answer. "Not at the moment, but I'm sure we could find one."

"You don't need a map. I can come with you," Anjean interjected, drawing their attention back to her. Her eyes and face were now mostly dry and clear of tears. "I know the land well."

"Absolutely not," Carben objected. "You're staying here."

"But I can help," Anjean insisted, stranding straighter.

"You can help by staying here and staying safe," Carben countered sternly.

Anjean furrowed her brow in a new emotion that Kid hadn't yet seen from the purple-haired girl. Anger. "No one ever lets me do anything. Why?"

"You know why," Carben returned, rolling his eyes in exasperation as if this was an argument he'd had with the young girl often.

"No, I don't," Anjean protested. "As leader, I am the most powerful Lokomo, and yet I'm not permitted to use my powers to their full potential. It makes no sense!"

"Say you were permitted to use your powers. How often would you use them?" Carben interrogated her, catching Anjean off-guard.

The young leader regained her bearings quickly. "Everyday. All the time. For whatever I needed them for to assist others."

"Exactly," Carben declared, snapping his fingers. He jabbed a finger at Anjean. "And  _that's_  the problem."

"Why… is that a problem?" Kid ventured. Helping other people didn't seem like a bad thing to do.

Carben's dark blue eyes flicked to Kid. "Because the more a Lokomo uses their power, the more it takes out of them. Magic requires a trade-off. You can't get something for nothing. So, though we are powerful and have the ability to live for hundreds of years, the more we use our powers, the quicker we'll expire."

Kid's surprise must have invigorated Carben, for the guardian continued, "Let me tell you a little story. Our leader is a terribly kind and selfless soul. For generations, our leader has lived for hundreds of years, and at some point in our history, we Lokomo began to take advantage of our kind and selfless leader. We allowed her to use her power for little things. Frivolous things. Ridiculous things. In fact, we didn't just allow it. We encouraged it. After that, she expired rather quickly. As soon as our leader was reborn, we did the same thing. We sucked her dry for our own selfish ends, and she let us. She was delighted to help us. She wanted to. So she did, and it killed her. Over and over again. Until we came to our previous leader. She lasted a mere twenty years before dying, and by the time Anjean was born two years later, we Lokomo decided we needed to make a change. We needed a leader that would last centuries. And so," Carben looked to Anjean and Kid found his gaze drifting towards the lavender-haired girl as well, "we all took a vow to protect and cherish Anjean and to ban her from using her powers except when absolutely necessary."

"I don't see what the big deal is," Anjean said, adamantly sticking by her position. "I'll reincarnate when I die anyway, and what use is living a life doing nothing?"

Carben pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. "Spirits help me." He let out a breath and met Anjean's round eyes with his own. "You are not doing nothing. You are helping people."

"Not as much I could be if-!"

"You are helping people," Carben repeated. "Every time you die and reincarnate, you must be retrained. I'm getting really sick and tired of retraining you."

"Wait, I thought you said the leader reincarnated a bunch of times before. You can't be  _that_  much older than Anjean to have had to train the previous leaders," Tetra interjected.

"Oh, but I am that much older than Anjean," Carben told her.

Kid squinted as if that would help him make out the wrinkles that would signify age but could find none. All he could find was blue stubble on the man's chin.

"Go ahead, guess my age," Carben invited them flippantly, waving a hand to welcome their guesses. "Bet you can't."

"You look like you're in your late twenties," Tetra surmised, and Kid nodded in agreement.

"You are very wrong."

"Fifty?" Midna wondered.

"You're too kind," Carben quipped.

"Eighty," Link stated.

"Not even close," Carben declared, smiling as if he was enjoying the game.

"One hundred fifty," Tetra guessed.

"More audacious," Carben nodded appreciatively, "though you are still wrong."

"Two hundred, perhaps?" Zelda suggested.

"Nope," Carben denied, popping the 'p'.

"Two hundred fifty," Kid proclaimed, feeling like he was bidding at the Auction House on Windfall instead of guessing someone's age.

"Closer."

"Three hundred!" Midna exclaimed confidently.

"And twenty," Carben added proudly, "but close enough."

Kid exchanged incredulous looks with his companions.

"So how old is…" Link's gaze drifted to Anjean, and so did everyone else's.

"She's thirteen," Carben said.

"But…how?" Tetra voiced Kid's thoughts for him.

"It depends on how a Lokomo uses their magic," Carben explained. "Use it sparingly and you age slowly. Use it frequently and you age quicker. Simple, really."

"So, you do not use magic much," Zelda observed.

"Nope, as I've said we've been using our leaders for quite a lot over the centuries. I haven't been required to use my magic for very much, though that is changing," Carben nodded to a rectangular window to indicate the protection spell outside.

"You have to let me go with them," Anjean declared, her tone much more confident than before as if it were a fact, rather than a plea.

"No, I don't," Carben disagreed.

"You're right, you don't, but you can't stop me from going either," Anjean returned, smiling victoriously. " _You're_  the one that cast the protection spell. I just gave you some of my energy to use. So you have to stay to maintain the spell. But I don't. I can leave Papuchia without breaking the spell. You can't."

Carben frowned. "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."

"Anjean, he's right. This is dangerous. You'll be safer if you stay here," Link interjected.

"But I want to help!" Anjean insisted. "I  _need_  to. They're my people."

"I understand," Zelda said, and Kid had full faith that she did, considering her position as ruler of Hyrule. "However, if you do not know how to fight, you cannot accompany us."

"I know how to fight."

"Then why weren't you helping us fight the Cursed Bokoblins or the Furnix yesterday?" Tetra challenged her.

Anjean dropped her eyes to the polished wooden floorboards. "Because I was scared."

"Well, you can't be scared out there," Tetra informed her, throwing a hand in the general direction of the Forest Realm to indicate the wider world. "You balk like that alone, and you're dead."

"I know. I just…the soulless scare me. If they have souls, though, I can fight them easily. And you'll need me to help you with the evil spirits possessing the other guardians," Anjean claimed.

"And why is that?" Tetra asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Because we Lokomo are far stronger than you. We're not only trained for combat, but our bodies are built for it. You'll be hard pressed if you don't have a Lokomo like myself on your side. Trust me."

Though the rest of them were still skeptical and reluctant to accept her aid, Link wasn't. "That knife you have…it isn't enchanted, is it?"

"No."

"So yesterday, you hitting that monster with it was…all you?"

Anjean smiled wanly. "Yes."

Link nodded in acceptance. "Yeah, she's telling the truth. We're going to need her."

"What did she do yesterday?" Kid wondered, curious as to what had convinced his counterpart to trust Anjean since he seemed, much like Tetra, the most reluctant to do so.

"She hit a Cursed Bokoblin with her knife and sent it flying across the room and into a wall," Link explained.

Kid couldn't deny that that was some serious display of physical strength. Those Cursed Bokoblins were incredibly steady on their feet. It was difficult to push one anywhere, much less shoot one into a wall.

"All Lokomo are trained to be warriors from the time they can walk," Anjean added as if they needed further convincing. "The Realm Guardians are especially skilled, even stronger than I am, at least physically. Just one hit could cripple you. Plus, they all have special weapons." She looked meaningfully at Carben, and the guardian reluctantly extracted what looked like an orange snake out from one of his sleeves, slinging it over his right shoulder. Taking a closer look, Kid found that it wasn't a snake at all. It just looked like one.

"It's a whip," Carben supplied, catching their perplexed expressions. "Though I can turn it into a live snake if I so choose. Don't let that intimidate you, though. My weapon's the scariest one you'll see."

"The others are powerful too," Anjean refuted.

"So you want us to let you come along so you can fight them for us," Tetra concluded, her tone suggesting that she was insulted that Anjean was implying they wouldn't be able to handle it on their own after all they'd been through.

Anjean shook her head. "No, I couldn't beat them on my own. I'm just saying that I could help you fight them, and if any of you did get hurt, I could heal you."

"You can do that?" Kid wondered.

"Yes," Anjean confirmed with a smile. "Last night I came here and healed Carben because he was terribly wounded."

"From the traitor Lokomo?" Link guessed.

"From sea monsters," Carben corrected him. "I was trying to do my job and get away from the Ocean Sanctuary in the same breath since I knew that's the first place Vivian would expect me to be but…"

Kid was barely listening to Carben's recount of the previous days. His left arm throbbed a reminder that he was still wounded himself, and it gave him an idea.

Impatiently, he waited for Carben to finish explaining how he'd been fighting sea monsters with the help of his bird friends and how, gravely wounded, he'd just managed to reach Papuchia yesterday morning and everyone was sure he'd expire when Anjean showed up out of the blue, and the villagers took her to him to heal him.

Once the guardian Lokomo was finished, Kid blurted out, "Anjean, can you heal anything?" Based on Carben's story, Kid thought he knew the answer, but there was no harm in checking.

The purple-haired girl cocked her head to the side and tapped her chin with a finger, considering it. "Most physical ailments, yes. Mental ailments…not so much. Why?"

"I was injured a while ago, and it hasn't really healed," Kid explained. Of course, picking up training again and fighting yesterday hadn't helped that process along either, but he wasn't going to mention that. "I was wondering if you could heal it for me."

Anjean's ponderous expression turned sympathetic. "Oh, of course, dear! I'll try my best."

"Why don't you two go in the other room and do that," Carben suggested. "The rest of us can start looking for a map in here, and when you're done healing him we can discuss the plan in more detail."

"A map?" Anjean said, perplexed. "But I'm going with them, aren't I?"

"We'll discuss that after you heal him, now go," Carben shooed them off with a wave of his hands.

Anjean frowned, evidently displeased, but chose to gently grab Kid's hand and pull him in the direction of a door instead of argue with Carben over the matter.

"Why do they have to go into another room for her to heal him?" Link wondered, obviously skeptical, though Kid didn't see why. Anjean was on their side, and it was evident that she wanted to help them as well as her own people.

"The quieter it is and the less people there are around, the better. At least, as far as Anjean's healing magic is concerned. It's a delicate process, after all," Carben explained as Anjean opened the painted wooden door and led Kid through.

Anjean dropped his hand and the door swung shut behind them. This room was much smaller than the last, but judging by the made-up bed set against the back wall and the carved dresser to the right, Kid concluded that it was a bedroom.

"Sit here, and show me your wound," Anjean ordered him kindly, patting the pristine white bedspread.

He sat and obeyed, rolling up his sleeve to expose the wound. It was currently wrapped tightly in a white bandage, and Anjean immediately sat beside him and set to unwrapping it. Her touch was light and gentle, yet even the removal of the bandage caused him to wince.

Kid expected Anjean to examine the angry-looking wound after removing the bandage, but she hovered her hands over it instead and instructed him to stay still. He gave a barely perceptible nod to show that he understood and watched in fascination as her pallid hands were bathed in a golden glow, like embers in a fire. From her fingertips, lavender sparks floated down to land on his arm, and he couldn't help but hiss in pain as the first struck his wound, then the second, and the third, and the fourth and fifth, and by the sixth the fire in his arm was so prevalent that Kid had to bite his lip to keep from crying out.

Suddenly, Anjean's hands lost their celestial glow and the fire in his arm dissipated. He let out a shaky breath, imagining the remaining pain leaving with the air. It kind of worked.

"I'm sorry." Anjean apologized, sympathizing with his hurt. "I don't know why it's not working. Let me try something else."

This time, she touched him, and he flinched at the icy coldness of her skin. She didn't say anything, though, so he didn't either.

The purple-haired girl bowed her head and closed her eyes, and Kid held his breath, expecting pain to come, but the only sensation was Anjean's cold hands resting lightly on his wounded arm.

Then came the warmth, spreading from the Lokomo girl's palms to her fingertips, her pale hands lit in a lavender light. It hurt, but not as bad as before. Still, Kid decided it'd be better not to look, so he didn't. He turned his head the other way and stared out the round window at nothing.

They sat that way for what felt like an eternity, the tension in the room tight, before Kid felt Anjean's hands cool and finally release him. He turned to look at his arm only to find the wound still there. Though not bleeding, it glistened red, silently mocking him. His puzzled gaze flickered up to Anjean for an explanation as to why it wasn't healed yet.

The expression the girl wore sent shivers down his spine. Her mouth was slightly open in a soundless gasp, violet eyes wide with some emotion he couldn't identify. Disbelief? Horror?

"What?" he asked, his voice coming out as a whisper because anything louder seemed inappropriate for the borderline suffocating tension in the room.

His inquiry snapped her out of her stupor, and Anjean set her jaw, eyes searching his, for what, he didn't know.

"How did you get this wound?" Anjean questioned him, her voice just as soft when she spoke.

"In a fight," he answered slowly, not sure why that mattered.

"With who?"

"Ghirahim."

"The demon that took over my home?" Anjean queried quietly, sounding immensely sad.

Kid swallowed nervously. "Yes."

Anjean's eyes drifted away from his own, and he let his own gaze follow hers to the floor but there was nothing there. He looked back to her, perplexed. What was going on?

"…Yes," Anjean murmured, her tone distant.

Kid furrowed his brow. "What's wr-"

He was suddenly tackled onto the bed, the sword and shield on his back making an otherwise soft landing quite jarring as he struck the flimsy mattress. But that wasn't the startling part. The startling part was Anjean, who was looming over him, a gleaming knife raised in her right hand.

Before he could utter a sound, she plunged the knife down towards his heart with deadly accuracy, and a bloodcurdling scream was ripped from his throat.


	21. The Curse

"Sea chart, sea chart, sea chart," Tetra muttered to herself as she rifled through a stack of parchments that she'd discovered in a cabinet. As many as there were, one would think that what she was looking for would be somewhere within the pile, but of course it wasn't.

Tetra set the stack aside with an irritated huff and reached into the back of the cabinet for more.

"Whose house is this?" Link wondered as he flipped through some parchments Midna had found atop a bookshelf. "Why are there so many charts?"

"This house used to belong to a fisherman," Carben said, closing a drawer. "Or so I'm told."

Tetra slapped the sheaf of charts she had in her hand on the floor. "Then why are we looking for a map here?" A fisherman wouldn't have any use for anything besides sea charts.

"If I recall, this particular fisherman traveled the country frequently as well, so he has a map somewhere," Carben said, opening another drawer and directing his attention to its contents.

"Is this it?" Zelda queried, approaching the guardian of the Ocean Realm to show him what she'd found.

He scanned it quickly before turning back to his task. "Nope. That's a map of the Sand Realm only, but put it aside in case we find maps of the others."

"This is stupid," Tetra groaned, reluctantly hauling the pile of parchment back into her lap and half-heartedly leafing through it. She just wanted to get out of here already. Now that they knew for a fact Ghirahim was here and was really causing quite a lot of trouble, she felt the need to  _do_  something about it. Sitting on the floor of some deceased fisherman's house and scouring his belongings for a map was definitely not her idea of doing something about it.

Her counterpart glanced at her. "You want to get lost in a foreign land overrun by monsters?"

"I wa-" Tetra's cheeky comeback was abruptly cut off by a scream. Her best friend's scream, to be exact.

Tetra exchanged looks with Link, Midna, and Zelda while Carben hurriedly assured them that the healing process could be painful sometimes and there was nothing to worry about. Tetra didn't believe that for a second.

She was already on her feet and moving towards the door before Carben had finished, Zelda and Midna on her heels and Link just ahead of her.

The four of them burst into the room Kid and Anjean had disappeared into not five minutes ago, thoroughly shocked by what they found.

Anjean was straddling Kid on the bed with a wickedly sharp looking knife in her hands. The blade was dangerously close to Kid's chest, and Tetra could plainly see the way the weapon shook with the combined force Anjean was exerting on it to plunge it into the boy beneath her and Kid's struggle to stop its descent.

Link moved before Tetra could, lunging forward and yanking Anjean off of Kid.

Not to be outdone, Tetra wasted no time in hurrying to stand between her best friend and Anjean. It was hardly necessary seeing as Link was already restraining the Lokomo girl, but it made Tetra feel better at least.

"Kid, are you okay?" Link asked, his tone curt, though Tetra knew it wasn't Kid he was angry with.

Tetra threw a glance over her shoulder just in time to see Kid give a mute nod, eyes wide as if he was still trying to process everything. Well, it'd taken Tetra all of two seconds to process the fact that Anjean was trying to kill him. Exactly why remained to be seen.

She refocused her attention on the purple-haired girl, narrowing her eyes and resting her hand on her dagger. "Care to explain yourself?"

"I-I was doing my job," Anjean stammered.

"Humph," Midna scoffed, her arms crossed over her chest in a disapproving manner. "That didn't look like healing to me."

"It…" Anjean winced as if the words caused her physical pain, "wasn't."

Tetra tightened her trip on the hilt of her dagger, preparing to draw it.

The action didn't go unnoticed by Anjean. "But wait! I-!"

Quick as lighting, Tetra drew her dagger, pointing it at the startled girl. "Shut up. There's no excuse for what you just tried to do."

"What's going on in here?" Carben interrupted, poking his head into the room with casual curiosity as if he could really care less what was going on but felt obliged to ask anyway. His attitude changed as soon as he noticed the weapon Tetra was pointing at Anjean.

A flash of orange was all the warning Tetra received before the end of Carben's whip attached itself to her right wrist, the snake head's fangs digging into her skin.

"Ow! Hey! Get off!" Tetra cried, using her free hand to try to pry the head of the snake open. It didn't work.

"Let her go," Link growled.

"I'll let her go when you let my leader go and get that child under control," Carben responded, all business.

"You'll let her go now you three hundred year old psycho!" Midna retorted, a threatening ball of crackling magic appearing between her palms.

Carben wasn't phased in the slightest by Midna's threat.

"Stop," Kid spoke up, sliding off of the bed. "Link let Anjean go; Carben let Tetra go."

"But she just-!" Link protested.

"Let her go," Kid repeated. "I'm fine."

Reluctantly, Link released Anjean, and the Lokomo girl scurried over to Carben for protection.

"Kindly keep her under control," Carben said before retracting his whip from Tetra's skin. The lack of pressure crushing her wrist was a relief and besides some impressive indents in her skin, she wasn't harmed. Of course, the pressure didn't lighten up for long.

The princess grabbed Tetra's wrist and tugged the young pirate captain to her side. "We will." Zelda shot an icy look her way. "Sheathe your dagger."

Tetra threw a withering glare back at her counterpart but complied.

"Now then," Carben began, "what is all this about?"

"Your little leader just tried to kill Kid," Link announced bitterly, grabbing Kid's arm and pulling the Hero of Winds closer to him.

"Let's refrain from making wild accusations," Princess Zelda interjected.

"It's not a wild accusation!" Tetra refuted, glaring up at her counterpart. "She was aiming at his chest with a knife!"

"Perhaps it wasn't her choice," Zelda replied evenly.

Tetra rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, because you can mistakenly try to stab someone."

"I was thinking more along the lines of her being possessed," Princess Zelda corrected her. Tetra looked to Anjean then as if for confirmation. Unfortunately it was impossible to tell. Other than her bowed head, Anjean looked the same as ever.

Carben's dark eyes flashed with light, transforming them into a vibrant hue of sparkling blue. She could only be mildly surprised that Carben shared the same soul-seeing power as Anjean.

With his eyes glowing with foreign power, the Guardian of the Ocean Realm reached out to touch Anjean, but her head snapped up of her own accord, and she stared fiercely into Carben eyes.

"I'm not possessed," she insisted, her tone pleading with Carben to understand.

Carben said nothing and continued to peer into her twin orbs. Finally, the glow faded from his eyes, and he nodded. "You're not possessed."

"If you're not possessed," Link began warily, drawing all attention to him, "then why did you try to kill Kid?"

"Because…the Spirits told me to," Anjean replied after a few moments passed in silence.

"You're crazy!" Tetra exclaimed.

"Tetra." The princess shot her a warning look.

"What? I'm just calling it as I see it." What sane person tried to kill another because 'spirits' told them to anyway?

"Elaborate, if you will," Princess Zelda requested, turning back to Anjean since she realized squabbling with Tetra over the matter wouldn't get her anywhere.

"Yes, please do, Anjean," Carben added. "I thought you said his soul was pure. Why would the Spirits ask you to kill him if that were the case?"

Anjean took a shaky breath in preparation to explain, and it took all Tetra had in her not to scream at the girl to hurry up with her explanation. "His soul  _is_ pure. That's not why. It's…he's…" Anjean dropped her gaze to the floor. "T-There's a spell on him, well, a curse, and… and…"

"Take your time," Zelda encouraged the young leader.

"Don't take your time," Tetra refuted, earning a hard look from her counterpart which she returned tenfold. They deserved to know why Anjean had snapped, and if there was a curse on Kid, Tetra wanted to know what it was  _now_.

"T-the spell," Anjean stammered, "it binds him to the demon."

"What does that mean?" Link, Tetra, and Midna demanded at the same time, their tones equally condemning.

Anjean flinched, clasping her hands close to her chest as if it pained her to speak. She managed to choke the words out anyway. "It means…he...if he dies…it all stops because the demon will die too. A-and if the demon dies, he dies." Anjean sniffed, standing up a bit straighter and swiping a sleeve across her eyes. "So, he's going to die anyway. If we sacrifice him the demon won't be a problem anymore. I'm supposed to be protecting the people, and I can do that if I…but still. I didn't want to." She looked to Kid. "Your soul is genuine. Nothing mars it. You've killed, but you've only killed bad people so that's okay. So…you have to agree that me killing you is okay too because I'll be killing a bad person by doing it."

"And a good one!" Tetra cried since Kid looked too mortified to answer.

Anjean shrugged, dropping her eyes once more. "Sacrifices must be made."

"Oh, did your little ghost friends just whisper that in your ear?" she scoffed, wrenching herself out of Zelda's grip and taking a step closer to Anjean. Tetra didn't care what Zelda thought. This girl was insane. She didn't deserve any pity.

"They're not my friends," Anjean whispered. "They're my guides."

"Whatever they are, they're evil and so are you," Tetra spat.

"I am not evil," Anjean refuted, her eyes now burning with fresh tears and violet fire. "And neither are the Spirits. They're the Spirits of Good."

"Sure, because a name means a lot," Midna commented sarcastically.

Anjean ignored her. " _Evil_ is that demon that infiltrated the Tower of Spirits. Your fight isn't with me; it's with him, which is why it makes perfect sense to end it now. You're a leader. You should know better than anyone that sometimes you have to sacrifice the good things for the greater good."

"That's a lie only fools believe," Tetra asserted. There was always an alternative. Always.

Anjean's expression hardened. "Then I'm mistaken; you're not a leader."

"Oh yeah? Wanna say that to my crew?" Tetra drew her dagger once more but was halted by Zelda before she got a chance to do anything with it.

"Enough. There is no point talking when everyone is so riled up," the princess said, her tone icy cold and hands equally so as she grasped Tetra's arm and steered her out of the room with an order thrown over her shoulder for Link, Kid, and Midna to follow. The three of them did so silently.

"You really must learn to control your temper," Princess Zelda admonished her.

Tetra wrenched her arm out of her counterpart's surprisingly strong grip with a huff, but continued to follow her out into the sunlight. It was too bright and only served to make Tetra angrier.

The villagers were all too content with the day to notice them, and Tetra preferred that. If anyone got in her way, she wouldn't be able to play nice.

Fortunately for the innocent natives, Tetra and her companions reached the pirate ship rather quickly. Of course, the pirates wanted to hear all about their meeting with the Guardian of the Ocean Realm, but at the sight of the hard looks on everyone's faces they quickly got the gist that it hadn't gone well.

Tetra glared at Nudge as she strode past him, daring him to say "I told you so." He got the message, though that didn't stop him from asking if there was anything he could do.

She dismissed him with a wave of her hand and made a beeline for her cabin, which was swiftly transformed into a meeting place, though "meeting" was a loose term for it.

"She had no reason to say those things!" Tetra ranted, pacing the length of her cabin while Zelda sat very still in her desk chair, Midna lounged on her bed, and Link and Kid huddled on the couch.

"Take a breath," Zelda advised her, eyes closed in what Tetra could only assume to be an attempt at meditation.

Tetra didn't heed her counterpart's advice. "She's insane! She should be locked away. And cursed?! Pfft! Yeah, right! Like I believe that crap!" She couldn't believe it because believing it meant that they couldn't get rid of Ghirahim, which meant the rest of this land would fall into despair and desolation, and the Great Sea would die, and she'd never be able to found her kingdom.

"Definitely shouldn't believe her." Midna nodded sagely.

"We should have left her to rot in that village," Tetra seethed. Anjean had brought them nothing but hardship since they'd encountered her. That should have been a clue, but Tetra had been too blinded by her own hopes and goals to see it.

"Totally," Midna agreed, stretching.

Tetra ground to a halt and whirled around to address the Twili. She was in no mood for Midna's flippancy.

"Are you even taking this seriously?"

"'Course I am," Midna replied, shrugging in an off-handed manner that didn't convince Tetra one bit. "I just think you're overreacting a little."

"Overreacting?!" Tetra practically screamed. "I am no-!"

Midna waved a blasé hand in her direction. "Just think about it. This girl is obviously psycho, and she's lied to us before. We really have no reason to believe anything she says, so just because she  _claims_  Kid's cursed, doesn't mean he is.

"I mean, really, it doesn't even make sense. What does Ghirahim gain from binding his life to one of ours?"

"Well, it does ensure his safety," Princess Zelda pointed out.

Midna shook her head in disagreement. "Not really. I mean…not saying we would," here the Twili shot a meaningful look in Kid's direction, "but we  _could_ decide to sacrifice him. Or he could even die because of one of Ghirahim's monsters. Either way, Ghirahim's equally dead."

"So he's taking a risk is basically what you're saying," Tetra observed, crossing her arms over her chest to express her disapproval.

Midna winked at her. "Exactly."

"But is it even a risk? Can sword spirits die?" Link wondered, glancing uncertainly at the Master Sword fastened to Kid's back as if asking Fi for an answer. Forever vigilant, the sword spirit took the hint and materialized beside the couch in a graceful swath of lavender light.

"To my knowledge, Ghirahim and I are the only sword spirits in existence. Since neither of us has ever expired, it is difficult to say. However, theoretically, if our sword forms were damaged beyond repair our spirits would be forced out. I imagine it would be the closest us sword spirits could come to death in the human sense of the word."

"If that's the only way for sword spirits to 'die', then why would Ghirahim expose himself like that?" Link asked no one in particular. Tetra had to agree that it didn't make sense. Why would a nearly immortal being put his life in the hands of a mortal being?

"Perhaps…Ghirahim doesn't know he placed the curse on Kid," Zelda spoke up thoughtfully, breaking the contemplative silence that had settled over them. "It obviously has something to do with the sword Ghirahim cut him with, so perhaps the spell had been infused into the sword a long time ago and intended for someone else."

As much as Tetra would like her counterpart's theory to be true, it still didn't mean that there wasn't some kind of deadly curse on Kid. There was only one person she could trust for a reliable answer. "Fi, is Kid's life really bound to Ghirahim's by a spell?"

The sword spirit bowed her head in respect to Tetra. "I possess no records on such a spell. However, my databases are out of date, so it is possible that it exists."

"How possible?" Link pressed.

"Based on previous data, I can conclude there is a ninety-five percent chance that the spell exists and has been placed on my younger master. Therefore, I advise proceeding with caution."

"Or we could just break the curse," Midna proposed.

As far as ideas went, it wasn't a bad one. There was just one problem. "How?"

Midna made a face at that and then looked at her small hand, flexing it as if reminding herself of the curse that was currently keeping her trapped in a form that was not her own. Curses were not simple hexes to break.

"Perhaps Carben knows a way," Zelda suggested.

"And if he doesn't?" Tetra wanted to know.

Her counterpart's reply was immediate. "Then we cannot kill Ghirahim."

"We could." All eyes shot to Kid, shocked. He hadn't said a word ever since Anjean had proclaimed he was cursed. Kid continued to speak, his eyes downcast. "If it comes down to it then…I'd rather-"

"No," Link cut in, his tone fierce. "You are  _not_ sacrificing yourself. You don't have to. We'll find another way."

"And what is this other way?" Tetra demanded, though she agreed with Link wholeheartedly. Her hero and best friend would not sacrifice himself for them. She forbade it. "Ask him nicely?" The demon lord, she knew, was anything but merciful.

"We seal him away," Zelda answered her when Link hesitated.

"Oh, sure! Seal him away and go home to your perfect little kingdom and leave  _us_  to deal with the consequences when he breaks out!" Tetra fumed.

"What other choice do we have?" Zelda returned.

"We…" Tetra's shoulders slumped in defeat, and she snapped her mouth shut. She didn't know. But she should know. She was the leader.

"We hope Carben knows a way to break it," Midna spoke up quietly after a few moments passed in tense silence.

Hope. Such a flimsy, unreliable thing. Nonetheless, it was all they had to work with.

"In the meantime," Zelda said, rising to her feet, "we should prepare to depart. Gather provisions and procure a map of the Realms and see if Carben has any more information about the traitor Lokomo that we'll need to know about."

"Should we really trust Carben?" Link wondered, his tone suggesting that he didn't think they should. Tetra didn't know whether to trust him or not either. All she knew for sure was that Anjean wasn't trustworthy.

"He's been more truthful with us than Anjean has," Midna pointed out, though she didn't sound too keen on revisiting the man either.

"In any case, we need a map, and if anyone can procure one for us, it's Carben," Zelda added.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go," Tetra declared, strolling over to her door. "I want to get out of this village." And far away from a certain purple-haired psycho.

Tetra flung open the door only to have Niko fall at her feet. He'd been spying.

"Niko! You little rat!" she screeched. "This meeting doesn't concern you!"

Niko scrambled to his feet. "Is it really true? Is my swabbie-"

"He's  _fine_ ," Tetra stressed, pushing the buck-toothed pirate aside so she could get out of her room.

"Cursed doesn't sound fine!" Niko protested, sounding close to panic. "Swabbie!" Niko hurried over to a startled Kid. "Tell me you're alright."

"I…"

"We're handling it," Link assured Niko when Kid failed to say anything more.

"And we don't need you meddling," Tetra added, yanking Niko out of her room and back into the hallway. "Not a word to anyone else, you hear me?"

"But-"

"Not a word!" Tetra reiterated. "There's no use worrying everyone."

"I don't understand. What's going on?" Niko pressed.

"You don't need to understand, and you don't need to know what's going on. Just keep your mouth shut," Tetra snapped.

"If none of us know what's going on, how are we supposed to help you?" Niko wondered.

"You aren't!" Tetra exclaimed. "You're supposed to stay here and do what I tell you to."

"But that doesn't help you," Niko argued.

Tetra balked, her mouth open in preparation to retort. Since when did they care about helping her? As a matter of fact, why did they care? Was it because they had nothing else to do? Was it because they pitied her for the cards the goddesses had dealt her?

An exasperated sound was wrenched from her throat, and she turned her back on Niko, intent on walking away from the conversation, when Zelda's voice halted her in her tracks.

"Perhaps…allow your crew to help if they so wish it."

Tetra whirled around. "What? Have you caught Anjean's crazy? They can't help."

"Not if you don't let them, they can't," Zelda returned sagely.

Tetra gritted her teeth, cursing her counterpart's wisdom. Still, it didn't change the fact that her crew could not help them with Ghirahim or the curse on Kid. Not that she believed there was a curse.

"Even if I let them help," Tetra said, shooting a glare Niko's way, "there's nothing they can help with."

"As I recall, none of us have had breakfast yet, and we still need to gather provisions for our journey," Zelda replied easily. "They can help us with the little things." She looked pointedly at Niko who wasn't looking quite as intimidated by Tetra's glare anymore.

"Ugh, fine, but you don't want Niko making us anything to eat. He's an awful cook. Nudge is better."

"What can I help with instead?" Niko asked, far too eager for Tetra's liking. She never knew him to  _like_  work. Then again, that was probably because she always assigned him the jobs no one wanted to do. She couldn't have him pack provisions for them. Mako and Senza were much better suited for that job. As for what else needed to be done…

Tetra let out a heavy sigh. "I don't know. For now tell Nudge to cook us all breakfast and Mako and Senza to pack provisions for us. Enough for a week if they can."

She marched towards the door that led out to the main deck, causing Niko to run after her in concern. "You guys are going out now?"

"Yup," Tetra declared, wrenching the door open and stepping outside into the sea breeze, Niko following closely on her heels, along with her counterpart, Link, and Kid.

"Can't that wait a bit?" Niko wondered. "I still don't understand what's going on. Why do you need provisions? Where are you going?"

"Go deliver the messages I gave you," Tetra commanded him without breaking stride.

"We'll explain everything once we return," Zelda assured the buck-toothed pirate as she followed Tetra down the gangplank. Tetra wasn't so sure about that, but correcting her counterpart now would only take more time that they didn't have to waste.

Before she knew it, Tetra found herself inside the deceased fisherman's abode, staring down the Guardian of the Ocean Realm, who looked completely and utterly nonplussed as he lounged on the couch they'd first met him on. Anjean was nowhere in sight.

As if reading her mind, Carben said, "Don't concern yourselves with Anjean. I've taken care of her, and she's currently elsewhere in the village. I apologize for her rash actions. Do not take it to heart."

Tetra narrowed her eyes. There was no way to  _not_  take Anjean attempting to kill her best friend to heart.

Carben cleared his throat when no one said anything. "I presume you're here for the map we were discussing before…?"

"Partly," Princess Zelda agreed. "We have also come for information."

"What kind of information?" Carben asked.

Link took a breath. "Do you know how to break the curse?"

Carben didn't even hesitate. "No."

"Do you know who might?" Zelda queried, her tone leaning towards hopeful.

"I'm sorry, but there's no one alive or dead who knows how to break this curse because, simply put, it isn't a curse," Carben informed them.

"What? How could one person dying when another person dies not be a curse?" Midna demanded.

"Let me rephrase that: it's not intended to be a curse," Carben explained. "It's a blessing, meant to ensure that lovers would never have to live without the other, and as such, there is no way to remove it."

"Are you sure that he even has the spell on him?" Tetra wondered, clinging to fragile hope despite herself. After all, she hadn't had a prophetic dream foretelling such a wicked spell on Kid. That had to mean something, right?

"While I cannot see and hear the Spirits as well as Anjean can, I can communicate with them well enough to confirm that the spell on him is real."

Tetra's heart skipped a beat, and she bit her lip hard, focusing on the pain to get the notion of Kid being cursed in such a way out of her head. Ghirahim would pay, and yet he couldn't because Kid would pay the price as well. She clutched the shard of wisdom under her bandana so hard that she wouldn't be surprised if it cut her.

As if sensing that none of them fancied his answer, Carben added, "To my knowledge, this mess with the demon is not the responsibility of the Lokomo to ultimately fix. Though we will help, how you fix it is entirely up to you."

"Understood," Zelda conceded with a regal nod. "Could you tell us more about the traitor Lokomo so we know what we're dealing with?"

"Ah, Vivian," Carben said, stretching out on the couch farther and slinging an arm over the back as if he was settling in for a long story. Tetra prayed it would be a brief one. "From what I've heard, she's not only using evil spirits to do her bidding, but the Demon Train as well."

"What is that?" Link wondered.

"It's a demonic being from the Dark Realm. It runs on tracks and uh…hmm…" Carben rose and crossed to a desk set in the corner, leafing through it for some paper and a writing utensil. He spent quite a while scribbling, muttering to himself, pausing, and then scribbling again, before turning to them and handing Link the paper he'd been diligently bent over.

"Excuse my drawing skills, but you can get the gist of what it looks like," Carben said, flopping back down onto the plush couch.

Tetra sidled closer to Link, about to nudge Kid aside before thinking better of it and switching sides, elbowing the princess out of the way instead so she could view the paper. Carben had sketched an odd-looking thing. It was long and cylindrical and somewhat gear-like with a mean-looking face. The demonic creature did not have legs, but a slew of wheels.

"Is it…a machine?" Zelda ventured.

"Somewhat, yes," Carben answered. "Of course, since it comes from the Dark Realm, it's nothing good."

"So, how do we kill it?" Midna asked as she hovered over Link's shoulder and peered down at the drawing.

Carben let out a short laugh. "You don't kill it. You can't kill the Demon Train, and you'd be a fool to try. Swords won't work and neither will any other weapons you have. If you see it, get as far away from it as possible."

Tetra didn't very much like the thought of running away. If they couldn't kill Ghirahim and they couldn't kill the Demon Train, then what  _could_ they kill?

"How about Vivian? Any tips for fighting her?" Link asked.

Carben considered this before replying. "Her special weapon is a sword blessed by the Spirits, so she's adept at sword fighting. Being able to match her will be no easy task since she's a Lokomo. Her strength far surpasses your own and that's not hubris talking, just truth, but if you can move quicker than her and use techniques she's unaccustomed to blocking and parrying, you may have a chance. Of course, you won't get a chance to fight her unless she comes down to your level, which is highly unlikely because, from what I've heard from my fellow guardian before he was possessed, Vivian stays on the Demon Train, so, unless you can fly, you aren't reaching her."

"Can't we just shoot her down with arrows?" Tetra asked, her hand suddenly itching to hold a bow.

"You can try, but Vivian knows how to dodge and block such projectiles. Your best chance is to get close and strike hard and fast."

Zelda nodded in comprehension. "Do you have any more advice for us? Perhaps for fighting the possessed Lokomo?"

"Well," Carben began, his tone ponderous, "I can't guarantee what they'll be like possessed, but ordinarily each uses a special weapon…" Carben continued his explanation, listing each guardian Lokomo and their particular weapons and skills, but Tetra's mind was elsewhere. It wasn't because she had no interest in the information –she knew it was quite valuable- or that she couldn't concentrate, for she was actually concentrating awfully hard, but because her thoughts were lingering on the Guardian of the Dark Realm.

Her idea had started as a tiny tickle at the back of her mind, but as Carben droned on and her companions hung on his every word, Tetra was coaxing it and coaching it until it developed into a magnificent flow so that by the time Carben finally stopped prattling on, she could let it tumble out of her mouth.

"What if we had a flying train, too?"

Link looked at her like she had lost her mind. "What?"

"What if we had a flying train," Tetra repeated, warming up to the idea with a cunning smile. "Then we'd be able to reach Vivian and battle her."

"Ooh, I like where this is going," Midna commented, a smile splitting her face as well.

"How do you propose we obtain a train of our own?" Zelda inquired, her tone betraying her worry that Tetra's methods would be unethical or downright impossible.

Tetra raised her head high, confident that her idea was neither. "We build one."

"Again, how?" Zelda queried.

Tetra rolled her eyes. "We have an engineer, if you've forgotten. Actually, two. Linebeck and Jolene can build it for us."

"You're going to make those two work together?" Link wondered, his tone suggesting that that was a bad idea. "Won't they just be at each other's throats the whole time?"

Tetra shrugged. "It can be a nice bonding experience for the two of them."

"Eee hee hee! You're evil," Midna giggled.

Tetra winked at her. "The evilest."

"How do you plan on making this thing fly?" Carben queried, sounding unimpressed with Tetra's idea. "To my knowledge, the Demon Train is made of metal. Getting such a heavy object in the air won't be easy."

"Not without magic it won't," Tetra agreed. She pointed to Carben. "That's where you and the other guardians come in. You'll use your powers to make it fly. You can do that, can't you?"

Carben frowned. "We could, but it would take a great deal of energy, and you'll need more than just a couple guardians to do it."

"I figured," Tetra told him. "Which is why we free all the guardians first, and  _then_  take on Vivian."

"Not a bad idea," Carben assented, nodding his head in approval. "Except that to help you, I'd need to break the protection spell over this village."

"By then there won't be any need for a protection spell," Tetra countered. "We'd have wiped out most of the monsters."

"Fine then. Return to me when you've built your train and freed my fellow Lokomo," Carben replied. He waved a hand in the direction of a countertop of a small kitchenette. "You may find the map over there useful."

To Tetra's annoyance, her counterpart beat her to the parchment and stowed it away before she could take a look at it.

Zelda bowed her head appreciatively to the blue-haired man. "Thank you for your aid."

Carben waved off her thanks. "Just doing what the Spirits put me here for. May fortune fill your sails."

With that, Midna slipped back into the shadows and the foursome exited the house, much better equipped for their journey, yet not quite ready to embark on it.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, Tetra was famished, so returning to the ship to find that her crew had prepared somewhat of a feast for breakfast was much appreciated, especially since the majority of it was fresh.

Her crew must have done some shopping or trading in the village to obtain the fresh fish, fruit, and eggs that they had, but Tetra couldn't even bring herself to care about the money potentially lost. The food tasted too good for that.

Of course, it had to be spoiled by a question from Gonzo. "What happened this morning, Miss?"

Zelda gave her an encouraging look, and Tetra scowled down at her plate, stabbing a bit of egg and raising it to her mouth to give herself time to think. Saying nothing was out of the question, but that didn't mean she couldn't take her time explaining. And take her time she did. By the time she'd finished explaining the situation, nearly everyone had finished eating their fill and those that hadn't suddenly lost their appetite.

"You can't take that girl with you," Nudge said, breaking the silence.

"Believe me, we're not planning to," Tetra assured him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"You should take us with you," Gonzo spoke up. "We can help you fight the possessed guardians."

"No way," Tetra protested. This was exactly why she hadn't wanted to say anything. "We'll be fine on our own."

When objections rang out, Tetra slammed her hands down on the table, rattling the dishes, and shot to her feet. The silence was immediate. "None of you are coming with because I already have a better job for you to do."

"What is it, Miss?" Mako wondered timidly, adjusting his glasses.

"I'm turning you over to Linebeck."

"What?!"

"Miss, you can't!"

"Why him?"

"You're firing us?"

"No! No one's getting fired! Gonzo, stop crying." The large man wiped an arm over his eyes in an effort to obey, and Tetra heard Midna giggle from the shadows. "I mean that I want you to help him and Jolene build the train."

"All due respect, Miss, but we don't know much about building," Senza pointed out.

"You don't have to. Just be the muscle when Linebeck needs it. Hand him tools and such. I don't know. All I know is that it's going to take more than two people to build this thing, and they'll need someone to defend them while they're building it as well. There are monsters out there, after all."

The murmurs around the table were more resigned this time, though no less concerned.

"And this will help you?" Niko asked her as the rest of her crew were busy muttering amongst themselves.

"Yes, Niko, this will help me. It will help all of us," Tetra declared with certainty.

She turned to leave the mess hall, but not before she saw the smile that appeared on the lowest-ranked pirate's face.

* * *

There were no smiles when she proposed her idea to Linebeck and Jolene ten minutes later.

"With  _her_?" Linebeck looked at Jolene like she was some disease he didn't want to catch.

"With  _him_?" Jolene looked at Linebeck like he was repulsive bug she'd like to squash.

The two captains returned to their attention to Tetra. "YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING!"

The two of them whipped their heads around to glare at each other so fast that it was a wonder neither got whiplash.

"I'm not," Tetra informed them, though now she was starting to wonder if Link wasn't right and they'd tear each other apart before they could get anything done. "Do this, and you'll not only be helping us but this place."

"Why would I want to help this place?" Jolene demanded, her tone suggesting that she'd never wanted to help anything, person, place, or otherwise, in her life.

Tetra narrowed her eyes. "Because I highly doubt you want to go back to the Great Sea."

Neither could deny this, and Tetra rode the following wave of silence as long as she could. "This is only a project the greatest engineers could take on, and you two are the greatest engineers I know."

"Oh…well, glad you noticed," Linebeck said, his head held high by pride. "I  _am_ pretty great.

Jolene rolled her eyes, not fooled by Tetra's flattery like Linebeck "We're the only engineers she knows, you dolt."

Linebeck's proud stance deflated, and he jabbed a finger at the almond-eyed woman next to him. "See! This is why I can't work with her. She calls me names, and she lives to kill me!"

"That's only because you-!"

"Children, children," Tetra said, inserting herself between the two adults before either could attack the other and making her voice as sweet as possible. "If you do this for me, I'll give you each whatever you want when everything's over."

"Humph, like you could do that," Jolene scoffed, turning her back on her.

"I can," Tetra said. "I'll be ruling this land once all the evil's out of it. Therefore, I can get you whatever you wish."

"Rupees? Ancient treasures? A shipyard?" Linebeck wondered, eyes sparkling with all the possibilities.

Tetra smirked. "Sure."

"I can have anything?" Jolene checked, glancing over her shoulder as if that hid her interest.

"Within reason," Tetra amended. If anyone would take advantage of her offer, it would be Jolene.

"Is my own dojo within reason?" Jolene wondered.

"Yes," Tetra answered, not very much caring what a dojo was or why Jolene wanted her own. "All you have to do is work with Linebeck, and it can be yours."

Jolene threw a disgusted glance at the sea captain, and Linebeck threw an equally revolted look at the she-pirate.

"Just work together for a little while and you won't have to work together ever again," Tetra reminded them. "Small price to pay to have all your dreams come true, isn't it?"

"Fine, but I won't like it." Linebeck pledged finally.

"Me neither!" Jolene shot back. The two of them began to stomp back to their respective ships.

"Great! We leave in five minutes!" Tetra called after them.

"Smooth," Midna commended her, briefly materializing out of the shadows. "I think you've got this princess thing down."

Tetra smirked. "Me too."

* * *

Five minutes later, everyone was nearly ready to leave. The only thing left to do was board Linebeck's ship with the rest of her companions.

"Did you grab the provisions?" Tetra asked her counterpart as they stood in front of the S.S. Linebeck for a final check. No one wanted to leave and then remember that they'd forgot something they needed and have to turn around.

"Yes," Zelda replied. "I also have the map."

"Potions are included with the provisions, right?" Link checked, forever paranoid about everyone's well-being.

"Yes, there are five. Two green and three blue."

"That's not enough," Link protested.

"You have four. Kid has four. It's plenty," the princess assured him. "And we need to leave some with the pirates just in case."

Tetra nodded in agreement. "How about blankets? Bandages?"

"We have them."

"Link, do you have that drawing of the Demon Train Carben made?" Tetra inquired, looking to the Hero of Twilight for an answer.

"Yeah…"

"Good, give it to Linebeck later. He'll need it to get an idea of how to build our train."

"Anything else?" Zelda wondered, looking around at them all. Her gaze lingered on Kid, but he had nothing to add and neither did the rest of them.

They were ready.

They turned to board Linebeck's ship, only to be stopped by a shout. Tetra whipped around to see Anjean running towards them, her booted feet thudding on the wooden dock.

"Get lost," Link growled, his tone hard as he put a protective arm in front of Kid. Not that Anjean could get to him. She'd have to plow through Tetra first and that wasn't going to happen.

"W-wait! I-" Anjean stumbled to a stop a few feet away, halted by the enmity radiating off of their group. "I want to apologize. I'm sorry for what I did. I just…I wanted it all to stop and…but that doesn't make what I did right, I know. I'm just…" Anjean expelled the rest of her air. "I'm sorry, and I want to help."

"Oh, like you 'helped' Kid before?" Tetra demanded, placing a hand on her hip.

"Wha- no! Not like that! I mean  _really_  help," Anjean insisted. The expression on her face appeared sincere, but it was an act. She wasn't really sorry.

"No, thanks," Tetra told her, taking a step onto the gangplank. "We have a map. We don't need you."

"A map won't help you the way I can!" Anjean objected, running over and snagging Tetra's wrist in both her hands.

"Let go!" Tetra cried, trying to shake off Anjean without success.

"No, listen!" Anjean begged. "A map might be able to get you from place to place, but I can ensure that you get hospitality everywhere you go. Everyone knows me and they're obliged to make sure I'm well-cared for. If I'm with you, you'll be well-cared for too."

"We'll take our chances," Tetra returned hotly.

"So you have proper clothing for each realm?" Anjean pressed, drawing far closer than Tetra liked.

She recoiled as much as the shorter girl's grip on her would allow. "What?"

"You're not going to the Snow Realm dressed like that, are you? You'll freeze to death."

"I bet you'd like that," Tetra scoffed.

Anjean shook her head vehemently. "No, I wouldn't! I don't want any of you to die." She looked over Tetra's shoulder at Kid. " _Any_  of you."

"Anjean." The purple-haired girl returned her pleading gaze to Tetra. "Get out of here. You're not coming with us."

The Lokomo girl's shock at being rejected after her heartfelt apology and brazen insistence loosened her grip enough to allow Tetra to reclaim her wrist as her own.

"Wait," Zelda interjected before Tetra could continue to board the ship. "Perhaps having her accompany us would not be such a bad idea."

"What?!" Link exclaimed, whirling around on the princess in outrage. "Zelda, it's the worst idea!"

"Yeah!" Tetra agreed, equally enraged. "Did you forget what happened just a couple hours ago?"

"No, but it is evident that she is sorry, and besides there are benefits to taking her along. Being guaranteed hospitality wherever we go would be comforting to have, and I'm sure we could use Anjean's help with the other Lokomo," Zelda proclaimed. "It would be foolish not to take her."

They all took a while to chew on this idea before Link finally spoke, his sharp blue eyes piercing Anjean's small form. "If you come, you stay far away from Kid, you hear me?"

"But I wo-" Anjean protested, opening her hands to either side of her as if to showcase her innocence.

"Stay. Away." Link reiterated, his tone deadly.

Anjean stepped back and gave a tiny nod. "Okay."

"If you do anything shady or raise a hand against Kid or any of the rest of us, we'll leave you to fend for yourself, and I don't care if we're in the middle of nowhere. We  _will_  leave you."

Taken aback, Anjean could only offer another tiny nod, her eyes wide as she watched Link usher Kid the rest of the way onboard.

"Are you serious with this, Zelda?" Tetra demanded, unable to believe her counterpart. This hardly seemed like a wise thing to do.

"I am," Zelda affirmed, head held high. "Now come, we must depart."

When Tetra glanced over her shoulder at Anjean, she found the girl beaming with joy.

"Don't think you coming along changes anything," Tetra hissed, catching Anjean's attention. "We are  _not_  friends."

If Anjean's face fell, Tetra didn't see it, for she was already hurrying up the gangplank to join her friends.


	22. Promises

The swaying of the ship could be described as soothing, but it did little to placate the sobbing child in his lap.

Link had dealt with his fair share of crying children, as one of the eldest minors in Ordon village and, thus, a default babysitter, so his current position wasn't anything new. The reason for it, however, was.

Usually a scraped knee or a frivolous dispute with another child were the only issues he had to deal with. While they may have caused a fair amount of distress, they were always easily fixable. Never were they heavy issues. Not like this.

"I d-don't…w-want him to di-iiiee!" Aryll wailed as Link held her close, rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her.

"He's not going to die, Aryll," Link said in as soothing a voice as he could muster. "Your big brother is strong."

"B-but not strong enough," Aryll sobbed, fruitlessly wiping at her eyes. "If he was, he would have won that fight, a-and…and he wouldn't have to leave me again."

Link was startled by the crying girl's reference to their loss against Ghirahim. Nonetheless, he recovered quickly. "That was just a little bad luck."

"So he might get bad luck _again_!" Aryll cried in obvious distress.

"Maybe," Link admitted, his stomach souring at the thought of losing again, "but even if he does, I'm going to be there too. I won't let anything happen to your brother."

Aryll pulled away a little to look up at him, tears still falling down her cherub-like face. "But if you're protecting him, who will protect you?"

"We're all going to protect each other, so don't worry," Link informed her, reaching out to wipe the tears from her face. "Your big brother will come back home to you, alive and in one piece. I'll make sure of it."

Aryll sniffed, and when she spoke her voice was far quieter than before. "A-and you will too?"

The child's concern for him was unexpected, yet sweet, and he couldn't bring himself to disappoint her. He'd probably be able to visit her before he returned to his world anyway. "Yes."

"Promise?" Aryll pressed, her emerald eyes peering intensely into his.

"I promise," Link pledged with a confident smile that visibly put the little girl at ease.

Of course, if he'd known then what he knew now, Link doubted his answer would have been so confident. Nonetheless, he wouldn't have changed it. He still meant it with every fiber of his being. Kid wasn't going to die. Not on his watch.

"Horses!" Tetra's cry snapped Link out of his musings. The young pirate captain had been especially disgruntled to discover that the horses they'd used before had not waited for them to return like good mounts. Of course, anyone that knew anything about horses could deduce that there was no way on Farore's green earth that the animals would stay by the sea with monsters on the loose, especially since they weren't  _their_  horses. Tetra, obviously, wasn't one of those people, and had been complaining, quite loudly, about it for hours.

Link was just glad to have horses as long as it stopped Tetra's whining. However, as he took a quick sweep of the immediate vicinity, Link failed to see a single horse.

"Where?"

"Over there!" Tetra informed him haughtily, pointing to a slope to their right with Aryll's bright red telescope, which he knew for a fact Kid hadn't given to her willingly.

Even with the direction, Link couldn't see much of anything, but at least now he understood that he wasn't supposed to. Unless his vision was as sharp as a hawk's, which it wasn't…without the Hawkeye, anyway.

Taking out the bird-like mask, Link affixed it to his face and peered in the direction Tetra had indicated. Sure enough, he was able to locate a band of horses peacefully grazing at the bottom of a hill.

"Come on, let's hurry and grab some horses!" Tetra urged, breaking into a run.

"You're eager," Midna observed with a giggle.

"You don't understand how exhausting walking is, Midna," Tetra countered, slowing her pace and whirling around so she was walking backwards. "You can fly."

"Flying is taxing too, you know," Midna returned, drooping a bit in the air as if to prove her point.

Tetra rolled her eyes, evidently unconvinced, and turned back around, resuming her race to get to the horses first.

"If she can run like that, we don't need horses," Zelda quipped, and Link smiled in agreement as the rest of them began to trail after the pirate captain at a much more relaxed pace.

Fortunately, Tetra had the sense to stop before she drew too close to the animals, so none of them were aware of the group's presence. That wouldn't last long, though.

Scanning the options, Link attempted to discern which horses were the most likely to be even-tempered. None had his own mare's chestnut coat so using coat color as a determinant was out of the question. All of them were either some sandy variation, dark bay, or silvery grey and white, and since all of the animals were grazing, they didn't offer much in the way of hints. He had no choice but to guess.

With the firm instruction to stay back to his companions, Link went to work. The first horse was easy to capture and calm. The second and third, however, were not.

Having already disturbed the tranquility of the animals, Link was not a trusted creature among them, which made getting close again difficult. Nonetheless, an hour later, sweaty, out of breath, and bruised, Link had managed to secure horses for everyone. Begrudgingly, he noted that he wouldn't be banged up at all if it weren't for Anjean. It was the third horse that had given him the most trouble, after all.

Perhaps that was why he didn't assist the Lokomo girl with calming and mounting her horse. Then again, it wasn't like she needed the aid anyway. She managed it just fine after a few minutes.

"So, where to?" Link asked Zelda once everyone was settled atop one of the horses. Until now, they'd just been moving in the general direction of the forest, hoping to stumble upon mounts.

The princess hummed in thought, closely examining the map in her hands while Tetra peered irritably over Zelda's shoulder.

"Oh, give me that!" Tetra snapped impatiently after Zelda spent a few more moments contemplating the map. "You shouldn't have it if you can't read it."

"I can just lead you there. I know where it is," Anjean spoke up as Tetra's eyes darted over the parchment in her hands.

"So do I," Tetra shot back, her tone daring Anjean to argue.

Anjean took her up on it, urging her dapple grey horse forward with a little trouble. "It's this way."

"I  _know,_ " Tetra huffed, looking up from the map to shoot a glare in the purple-haired girl's direction.

"Then come on. We're wasting daylight," Anjean said. "It's going to take a while to get there even with horses and-"

"No one asked you," Tetra glowered.

"Tetra, really." Zelda sighed in an exasperated fashion, as she led her own mare after Anjean's. "If she can make our lives easier, let her."

Link didn't object to making their lives easier, but after the little stunt Anjean pulled earlier, he just couldn't bring himself to trust her. "How do we know she isn't leading us into a trap?"

"Link, you too?" Zelda sighed, shooting him a disappointed look over her shoulder.

"Well, it's a valid question given all that's happened," Link argued.

"We did bring her to act as our guide," Midna commented, drifting up from the shadows and miraculously not spooking the horses, though that was probably because she kept to the rear so they couldn't see her.

"Thank you, Midna," Zelda said, evidently grateful to finally have someone agree with her.

The Twilight Princess, however, didn't stop there. "Then again, logic says we should be wary of her."

"Exactly, so we go our own way," Tetra declared, shoving the map in Zelda's face and pointing out their destination.

The princess batted the map aside. "She has no reason to mislead us. Her goal is the same as ours."

"I really just want to help," Anjean chimed in when the rest of them hesitated.

"Fine, then," Tetra said. "You can help if Kid says you can."

Link glanced back at his counterpart only to find the boy looking sincerely lost. "I…um…I don't know."

"That's not an option. Yes, she can lead, or no, she can't," Tetra pressed. "Choose one." The daggers the pirate captain was shooting the young hero's way indicated that he should pick the latter if he knew what was good for him.

It seemed to take forever before Kid said in a small voice, "Yes."

"WHAT?!" Tetra screamed in outrage, crinkling the map in her fist. "You're supposed to say no!"

"Why even ask me then?" Kid demanded with more fire than before.

"Because I thought you had sense!"

"He does," Zelda interjected. She turned to Anjean. "Lead on."

Anjean hesitated, or maybe she was just having trouble getting her mount to obey, before doing as Zelda requested and taking the lead.

"Don't listen to Tetra," Link told Kid as he led their own chocolate-colored horse after the others'. "She's just mad because she didn't get her way." Of course, Link wasn't too happy having Anjean lead them, but he wasn't going to hold that against his counterpart.

Kid hummed, in what Link could only assume to be agreement, but said nothing. He had no idea what was going through his counterpart's head, but Link was sure it wasn't good. He'd been too quiet after the fiasco this morning.

Striking up any conversation after the recent disagreement was out of the question, so the group traveled in silence.

Only once they reached the edge of the forest, did Anjean dare to speak. "There are normally Skulltula deep in these woods, but now I'm not sure what they hold. We should go slowly."

Anjean's reasoning was sound, and Link felt just a little better as she led them into the forest. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but feel uneasy in her presence. He knew he'd seen  _something_  in his wolf form last night, and now he was kicking himself for not checking. The incident this morning was entirely avoidable, if only he'd had the courage to look.

Then again, Link supposed it was a small blessing that he hadn't taken a peek at the spirits dancing around Anjean. After all, if the Lokomo girl hadn't snapped this morning, they'd all still be unaware of the spell on Kid which would mean that they'd kill Ghirahim as originally planned, and then-

Link stopped the unwelcome thought before it could continue, reassuring himself with the feeling of his counterpart's steadying grip on his shoulders. Kid was here, safe and sound. There was nothing to get worked up over.

With this in mind, he took a deep breath and attempted to find comfort in the forest. Growing up in a farming village with a thick wood nearby meant that places like this were quite soothing. When he'd agreed to come to his counterpart's world, Link never thought he'd get the chance to traverse a forest so large, much less witness the falling of leaves tinted red, yellow, orange, and brown by the autumn air.

One thing that didn't seem to change, however, was the wind. It was still rather strong, and he could smell the salt from the ocean, though it was turned even more unpleasant by the acrid scent of smoke that remained in the air. He hoped that the burned down village they'd found yesterday had been the only unfortunate village in the area.

His thoughts continued to wander as they tromped through the forest, the horses' hooves crunching fallen leaves and birdsong twittering above their heads among the rustling boughs.

It must have been an hour or so later that Tetra broke the silence, her dislike for Anjean obvious in her voice. "Are we almost there?"

"No," Anjean replied, her tone apologetic and devoid of all the enmity that Tetra's tone possessed.

"Are we halfway there?" Midna wondered with mild interest from the shadows since she only risked spooking the horses if she dared to stay outside them.

Anjean shook her head. "We probably won't get there until tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Tetra cried in outrage.

Zelda's response was much mellower. "This land of yours is quite vast, isn't it?"

"Yes," Anjean agreed with a tiny smile. "I'm afraid it doesn't make traveling swift."

"Humph, that's going to have to change," Tetra announced. "This is way too slow."

"How are you going to change it?" Midna inquired.

Tetra titled her head to the side, considering it, before she sighed. "I don't know yet. Maybe…have horse drawn carriages so we don't have to ride horses."

"That's not going to be much faster," Link piped up. "Horse drawn carriages are pretty slow, and they're not the smoothest rides either. Plus, you'd need at least a dirt road. All this grass will get the wheels stuck."

"Thank you, Mr. Know-It-All," Tetra returned sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Ruin all my plans, why don't you?"

"I'm just saying for your benefit," he replied. "If you want fast travel, horse drawn carriages are not the way to go."

"Fine then, I'll…hmm…oh! I'll use trains. They have to be faster, right?" Tetra reasoned.

Midna shrugged. "Who knows?"

"You mean to have trains flying around all the time? I mean, I guess the demon train is pretty fast but it is a  _demon_ train," Anjean interjected. "It'll take a lot of power just to get one train in the air and moving, and there are only so many Lokomo strong enough to generate that power."

"Oh, shut up. I'm just brainstorming. Even a flying train has to be faster than  _this_!" Tetra carped, indicating the horses with broad gestures. "And actually, horses can go faster than this, can't they?" At this, the young pirate threw a glance back at Link for confirmation, and he was obliged to give it.

"They can."

"Exactly, so why aren't we going faster?" Tetra demanded, turning back to Anjean with renewed vigor.

"Because it's not safe to go faster," Anjean replied evenly. "As I said before, there are Skulltula in this forest. They can appear at any time, and if we're going fast, then they can pop out and spook the horses."

"Oh, please." Tetra gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "We've been in this forest for hours, and we haven't run into anything. I think it's safe to say that there's nothing."

"Still, it's better to be cautious…" Anjean said, and Link couldn't help but agree with her.

Of course, Tetra wouldn't let it go. "Cautious isn't quick. Don't you want to help your fellow Lokomo?"

"Of course I do!" Anjean exclaimed.

"Then let's pick up the pace," Tetra ordered.

Uncertainty flashed across the purple-haired girl's pale face. "I want to help him but…we need to make it there in one piece too."

"Didn't you think he might be in pieces right now?" Tetra asked, causing Anjean's expression of uncertainty to transform into one of horror.

"Tetra, stop it," Zelda scolded the pirate girl, her tone icy. The princess turned to Anjean. "I am certain the Guardian of the Forest Realm is in one piece."

"For now," Tetra added. "But who knows, really? Evil spirits are pretty, well, evil. Anything could have happened to your friend. Anything  _could_  be happening to him right now, and we can't stop it because we're not there."

"No…he's fine. He has to be." Anjean breathed, one hand straying to the Spirit Flute dangling from her neck.

"Maybe, maybe not. The point is-"

"Tetra, knock it off," Kid's voice startled Link just as much as it did Tetra. The Hero of Twilight glanced over his shoulder to see his counterpart leveling a displeased look at the pirate captain.

Tetra narrowed her eyes at the Hero of Winds. "Why should I?"

"Because I said so."

A faux look of surprise alighted on Tetra's face. "Oh, you're my keeper now? Forgive me, I didn't know." She whirled back around on Anjean. "So, what'll it be? Speed up our pace and save your friend or keep it as it is and let him die?"

"Why are you so mean?!" Anjean cried sorrowfully, the horse beneath her reading her agitation and tossing its head. "You and Zelda share a soul, yet you're nothing like her. She's kind to me, and you're not. Why?"

"Oh, let's see," Tetra mused sarcastically as if she had no idea. "Maybe it's because you just tried to kill my best friend this morning!"

"I told you I'm sorry!" Anjean returned.

"That doesn't cut it for me," Tetra said.

"It does for Kid," Anjean pointed out, throwing an arm in the direction of the Hero of Winds. "And he doesn't hate me."

"That's because he's too nice for his own good," Tetra countered.

"And you're too rash," Kid chimed in, before Anjean could respond.

Tetra whipped around to glare at Kid. "Guess what, bad things happen to nice people, so if I were you, I'd stop being nice."

"Bad things happen to bad people more often than good, Tetra," Link retorted, his own temper rising.

"But he _is_  too nice! That's what landed him in the boat he's in right now!" Tetra argued.

"Then I'll let you get hit next time!" Kid shouted.

"Please do!" Tetra yelled back. "I didn't ask you to jump in front of me anyway!"

"Okay, kiddies, why don't we all calm down?" Midna suggested, coming to hover strategically between his horse and Zelda's so neither horse could see her and holding her hands out like a mediator.

"Stay out of this, Midna," Tetra growled.

"No, please, stay in it," Link invited the Twilight Princess. He sensed that he and Zelda would need all the help they could get to corral Tetra. He focused his attention on the fiery girl seated atop the rear of the horse in front of him. "I don't know what makes you think you can just say anything you want to whoever you want."

"Unless you've forgotten, I'm royalty," Tetra declared, holding her chin high. "I can say whatever I want."

"That doesn't mean you should," Midna commented in a blasé manner as if she was just making an observation in passing rather than scolding the girl. "It's a pain, but people have feelings."

Tetra scowled. "I know that."

"Then you would do well to keep that in mind and consider it before you speak," Zelda added sagely, earning her a dagger-filled glare from Tetra. "Otherwise, people aren't going to like you very much."

Link certainly wasn't liking Tetra very much at the moment, and a quick glance over his shoulder told him that Kid wasn't either.

"Tell that to her! She's the one trying to kill people," Tetra refuted, jabbing an accusing finger at Anjean.

"But I-ahh!" Anjean's rebuttal was cut off in a scream as her grey horse bucked suddenly. Link's immediate reaction was to help her. Sure, he wasn't a big fan of her at the moment either, but that didn't mean he wanted her dead.

Unfortunately, there was no time to assist her, for Zelda's horse caught onto the danger next, followed immediately by his own horse and his full attention was concentrated on preventing himself and Kid from falling off.

Since his horse was the last in line, it was the farthest from the danger, so Link managed to wrangle it into semi-obedience in a matter of seconds, which was long enough for him to identify the threat. A Skulltula, its bone-white carapace shaped like an angry skull displayed for all to see and fear while its black and yellow striped legs wriggled about like oversized maggots, hung from a thread that disappeared into the colorful canopy above. It was positioned just in front of Anjean's still freaking out horse.

"Anjean, dismount!" he called to her.

"I can't!" she cried as her horse reared. This time she wasn't as lucky.

"Link!" Zelda's tone indicated that she expected him to help Anjean, but everything happened too fast.

By the time Link had dismounted his own horse, Anjean was already on the ground and her horse had taken off in terror. The threat of the Skulltula had registered in the other horses' minds by now, and they were restlessly shifting, dancing in place and tossing their heads. Noticing this, Link made sure to grab Kid off of their horse before running over to the fallen girl.

He knelt down at her side. "Are you hurt?"

"Forget her; help us!" Tetra screamed, evidently in a panic because the princess had yet to get their horse under control.

Ignoring Tetra, Link focused on Anjean as the girl shakily rose into a sitting position. "I…don't think so…"

Link didn't think so either. Other than some dirt coating her legs and clothes, there wasn't any injury he could see and the girl was completely coherent. That was good enough for him to turn his attention to his other female companions.

Zelda and Tetra were still having trouble with their horse, and much to Link's chagrin, Kid was trying to help them.

"Move," Link ordered, pushing Kid back out of the immediate vicinity of the frightened animal with his left arm and reaching out to Tetra with his right. The girls' horse wasn't as panicked as Anjean's horse, but it did look like it may buck any second. "Grab my hand and swing off."

Wordlessly, Tetra followed his instructions, then joined Kid and Anjean behind him.

A piercing noise caused him to jump as he was helping the princess down, and he half turned to see Anjean standing with the Spirit Flute raised to her lips, blowing into one of the pipes.

"Stop that; it's scaring the horses," Link snapped, tugging Zelda away from her horse as it tossed its head and danced anxiously in place, irritated by the sound just as much as he was.

Anjean complied, but didn't drop the flute entirely. "It scares them more." She pointed, and Link followed her finger to where the Skulltula was, or at least, where the Skulltula used to be. There was now no sign of the over-sized arachnid.

"Why didn't you do that before it came down and scared the horses?" Tetra demanded, placing her hands on her hips in her usual bossy manner.

Anjean frowned. "I didn't see it because you were distracting me."

"Are you trying to say it's  _my_  fault?" Tetra challenged her.

"It is your fault," Kid asserted before Anjean could reply. "You're the one that started it."

"She started it earlier!" Tetra argued, flinging an arm in Anjean's direction.

"And I'm ending it," Zelda interrupted with icy authority. "What's done is done, and there's no changing it so let's all proceed civilly, please."

"My horse ran off…" Anjean said, indicating that she didn't know how they'd be able to continue.

"Then walk," Tetra snapped at her. "Serves you right."

"Tetra, that's enough," Zelda warned.

Of course, Tetra being Tetra, she persisted. "Oh come on, like she even needs a horse. We're going so slow anyway, we might as well all walk. It's not like I'm suggesting she run alongside the horses or anything."

"If anyone should be walking, it's you," Midna observed, earning her the furious pirate's full attention.

"Excuse me?"

Midna shrugged. "I'm just saying it would be a suitable punishment."

"Punishment?!" Tetra screamed in outrage. "For what?"

Link shook his head and turned away from his disagreeable companions, focusing instead on the two remaining horses. They were still skittish, and the tension in the air wasn't helping matters.

Approaching the closest horse with care, Link set to soothing it, whispering calming words he hoped that it could hear over all the noise his companions were making and reaching out a hand for it to sniff. By some miracle, it took to him quickly, and he was able to pet it, calming it even further. At least, until a shriek from Anjean's instrument startled it again.

He whipped around, his gaze immediately going to the canopy above. However, he couldn't see anything.

"We have to move. The Skulltula will just keep trying to come back, and I'll have to keep scaring it off," Anjean explained, lowering the Spirit Flute.

"I'm trying to get us to move. I need the horses calm first," Link returned, turning back to his work. Zelda came over to help and after giving her a few instructions, she left to try her hand at calming the other horse. Between the two of them, they managed to calm both horses and lead them to an area farther into the forest that was devoid of monster spiders, their younger companions trailing behind in displeased silence.

The peace, unfortunately, didn't last long.

"You're not seriously making me walk," Tetra glowered, her hands planted firmly on her hips as she stared down her counterpart.

"You were the one complaining earlier about how uncomfortable riding horses is," Zelda reminded her, reaching out a hand to help Anjean onto the horse. The Lokomo girl took it gratefully and swung up onto the horse behind the princess.

Tetra gaped at her, furious.

"Eee hee hee!" Midna giggled from the shadows. "Walking will do you good anyway."

Link agreed wholeheartedly. It would benefit Tetra to walk off her frustrations, at least for a little while.

Tetra, of course, didn't think so. "Let me ride with you and Kid."

"There's no room," Link objected.

"Sure there is."

"There really isn't," Link insisted. If they rode three to a horse, they risked hurting the animal. Even two was pushing it. "Just walk for a little bit. It won't kill you."

An aggravated sound tore itself from the young girl's throat, and she stomped off ahead. The rest of them trailed after her on their horses, Zelda and Anjean in the front and Link and Kid following up the rear.

It took a good while, but shortly after they finished their lunch break and resumed their trek, they stumbled upon the grey horse that had bolted earlier. Anjean and Tetra switched places in silence, the purple-haired girl reclaiming her spot atop the grey horse.

With that, they were off again, Anjean taking the lead and blowing into her flute whenever she sensed a Skulltula with her soul-seeing power. Link had to admit, having her around was handy now that Tetra wasn't distracting her and trying to sabotage her attempts at redemption. Still, she'd have to do a lot more than keep away a few spiders to earn his trust.

They continued to travel until the last rays of the sun had all but set before stopping for the night and making camp. After a brief dinner during which nothing much was said, Zelda produced the blankets and such from her bag and passed them around. Of course, they'd only brought enough for the four of them, but this didn't turn out to be a problem as one of them had to keep watch anyway.

Link volunteered for the job, and no one complained, so as his companions spread themselves out around the fire and lay down with their blankets, the Hero of Twilight settled down a fair distance away with his back to the fire, his sword and shield by his side within easy reach.

The night sounds were familiar, chirping crickets and hooting owls, the fire crackling. It sounded like Faron Woods except Faron Woods wasn't nearly this massive.

It must have been half an hour before his ears pricked up at the sound of crunching leaves. He whirled around, hand reaching for his sword, only to lay eyes on Kid. Immediately, he retracted his hand.

"I'm going to keep watch with you," Kid announced, sitting down so they were back to back.

"You don't have to," Link informed him, wishing his counterpart would return to sleep. He needed it, after all, and Link could keep watch by himself just fine. His sharp ears made it like he had eyes in the back of his head.

"I know," Kid replied. "I want to."

"Fine, but if you get tired feel free to go to sleep," Link conceded, knowing there was no way he was going to be able to convince Kid to do otherwise.

The two of them sat in companionable silence for a while, their eyes staring into the blackness surrounding their campsite and ears perked for any unusual sounds until…

"Link?" Kid's voice was soft, mingling the nightly symphony surrounding them.

"Yeah?"

Kid hesitated a beat before asking, "Do you ever miss it?"

"Miss what?" Link returned, puzzled.

"Before." Kid said. "How everything was before you were a hero."

"Well…yeah," Link admitted. Living in Ordon had been peaceful. The most exciting event that had ever happened back then was a goat getting loose. While plenty dangerous, it didn't compare to anything Link had been forced to face on his adventures.

"Do you wish you could go back to it?"

' _Do you?'_  The question was on the tip of his tongue, but Link held it back, sensing that Kid would be more inclined to answer after Link himself had answered. "Not really. I've always been kind of…restless, I guess. I need to be doing something, and traveling around, fighting monsters, helping people…it all makes me feel more complete in a way."

Kid was quiet, digesting the Hero of Twilight's answer. Just when Link was sure he'd given the wrong one, Kid spoke. "Is it bad…if I don't?"

"No, not at all," Link replied immediately, twisting around so he could see his counterpart. "It's perfectly fine."

Kid continued hastily as if he felt the need to justify himself despite Link's reassurance. "I mean, I like helping people and seeing new places but…I don't like being in danger all the time. It was boring before, and I thought I wanted more, but I don't. I like being at home bored out of my mind because even if it's repetitive, it's safe." The young hero peeked back at Link, his eyes partially hidden by his bangs. "Is that selfish?"

The torn expression on his counterpart's face pierced his heart and it was all Link could do to reassure him. "No, it's understandable." He gently grasped Kid's good arm and tugged him over so they were facing the same way. "We didn't ask for this. It was just thrown on us. Believe me, I don't like being in danger any more than you do."

"I just want to go home," Kid whispered, his voice thick.

"You will," Link assured him. If he could, he'd take Kid back to his family right this instant.

Kid shook his head in disagreement. "I could die any second."

"But you won't," Link refuted, putting an arm around the boy he viewed as a little brother and pulling him close. "You'll make it back home. I promise."

"You can't-"

"I can," Link returned fiercely, cutting his counterpart off mid-protest. He'd already made the same promise to Aryll. There was no harm in making the same one to Kid. Because he'd do it. He had to. "You're not going to die. Ghirahim might not even know about the spell he put on you so he can't do anything to you, and even if he does know about it, he still won't do anything to you. He just wants you to  _think_ he will. You know he's sadistic. He wants you to get upset and paranoid, so don't play into his game. You're alright."

The expression on Kid's face told Link that he hadn't been convincing enough so he pulled the boy into a tight embrace. "I promise you, I'll get you home to your sister and grandma, so don't worry."

"I never wanted to be a hero," Kid sniffed, his voice muffled from where he'd buried his face in Link's side. "I thought I did but I don't. I just wanted my sister back."

"I know," Link assured him, rubbing his back soothingly like Uli used to do for him whenever he was upset. It used to help him calm down, and Link could only hope that it had the same effect on his counterpart.

"Does being a hero ever even stop?" Kid demanded, breaking out of Link's hold suddenly and staring intensely into his eyes, searching desperately for an answer. "Aren't we cursed to do it for all eternity? So it doesn't even stop when we're dead. We can't rest then either, can we? We have to keep doing it over and over again and losing our parents and getting hurt and being scared and-"

Link cut him off by abruptly pulling him into another embrace, and this time Kid couldn't hold back his sorrow. Nonetheless, his cries weren't like his little sister's, loud and unrestrained. They were quiet and choked, the type of sobs that only came with practice.

Because heroes didn't cry.

A pang of fury struck him, then. This wasn't right. No one should have to go through this, much less a child. The life of a hero had robbed Kid of his happiness, his sense of safety, and his entitlement to show his true emotions. Link wanted to give those things back to him. Except…he didn't know how.

All he could do was hold Kid and rub his back while he cried, trying not to break down himself. None of this was fair. Kids should be allowed to be kids. Fighting for their lives shouldn't even have to cross their minds.

Anger burned hot in his veins, yet he didn't know who to direct it at anymore. The goddesses? A demon king's curse? The world? A combination of the three?

Eventually, Kid's tears were exhausted, and he fell completely silent. The two of them sat there that way for a while, bitterness creeping through both their minds, until Link spoke. "Try to get some sleep." Kid had to be exhausted now if he hadn't been earlier.

Kid shook his head vehemently. "I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because…what if…I don't wake up?" Kid peeked up at him, his eyes swirling with fear.

"You will," Link reassured him. "Nothing's going to happen to you. You're safe."

"But-"

"Kid, trust me. You'll wake up in the morning," Link stressed, cutting his counterpart's doubt off.

"How do you know?" Kid whispered.

He didn't. "Just a feeling. Now come on, lay down." Kid needed to be fully awake and alert tomorrow since they'd most likely be confronting the first possessed Lokomo. Of course, he wasn't going to use that to reason with his counterpart. It'd only remind him of his duty as a hero and distress him more.

Kid rubbed at his eye furiously. "I don't wanna sleep."

"Link." The name got an immediate reaction out of the boy nestled next to the Hero of Twilight. His hand froze, and his eyes snapped up to meet Link's. He looked…well, awed that Link had called him by his real name. It was almost as if he believed that everyone had forgotten it, that it had been replaced by titles and nicknames and expectations and destiny. But it hadn't been. Link, the boy from Outset, still existed beneath it all. "You  _will_  wake up. I promise."

"Even if I do…I don't wanna dream," Kid mumbled after a moment of silence, burying his head into Link's side once more and muffling his voice. "All I'll have is nightmares."

Pity and understanding washed over Link's features as he gazed down at the blond head nestled into his side. After his initial quest had ended, he'd come to fear sleep for the same reason.

"Try to think of something good," Link suggested, knowing that doing so had helped him numerous times.

Nonetheless, he wasn't surprised by Kid's answer. "I can't."

"You can always go to your happy place."

Kid pulled away a little to look up at him at that, confused. "My what?"

"Your happy place. It's like…" Link trailed off, taking a moment to think. "It's a real place that you have fond memories of or that just makes you feel calm. You can imagine yourself there whenever you need to relax." His counterpart's expression was still somewhat uncertain, so Link decided to give him an example. "Like, for me, my happy place is Ordon Spring because it's the place where Ilia and I used to play all the time when we were little, and I'd always wash Epona there, and just…go there whenever I needed to think. It's just a place I've always felt safe." With the exception of the time when King Bulblin and his followers invaded it, of course. "Can you think of a place like that?"

Kid's gaze drifted away from him, his expression one of deep contemplation. Finally, his eyes focused on some distant spot beyond the surrounding trees, Kid said, "When I was little…my parents used to take me up to the top of Outset, but not where the Fairy Forest is. It's the cliffs before that, before the bridge. There's a bunch of grass and flowers up there, and we'd have picnics.

"Except…the seagulls would steal our food." Link chuckled a little at that, and he saw a tiny smile flash across Kid's face. "We still kept going, though. It was like a game, to see how much of our food we could eat before the seagulls took it."

"Did you win?" Link wondered.

A dreamy smile appeared on Kid's face. "Sometimes. Usually not, but it was fun. And later when Aryll was born we took her with us, and the seagulls still bothered us, but they didn't bother her. They never took  _her_  food."

"So Aryll's always had a connection with the seagulls," Link observed.

"Mmhmm," Kid hummed, unresisting as Link gently pushed him down into a laying position so that his head rested in Link's lap.

"Tell me more," Link encouraged, his voice hushed. As silly as it may be, he didn't want to scare away this happy memory Kid had managed to tap into. "What else did you do there?"

"Mmm…my mom taught me how to make crowns out of the flowers, and I made a bunch for her and Aryll."

"Do you still remember how to make them?" Link asked.

Kid yawned. "Yeah."

"Good, imagine you're at that place, and you're making one for your sister, then," Link instructed.

"Can anyone I want be there with me?" Kid wondered, his voice weighed down with weariness.

"Sure, it  _is_ your happy place," Link reminded him.

This seemed to satisfy the boy, for in just a handful of minutes he was asleep, his breathing soft and even.

Link reached over and grabbed the blanket that had fallen from Kid's shoulders earlier, covering the sleeping boy with it just as a rather strong gust blew by. He couldn't help but peer in the direction it had come from. Was it always this windy here?

"Is Kid alright?"

Link jumped and whipped his head around. "Zelda? What are you doing up?"

"Sleep was eluding me, and then I heard you two talking. I couldn't help but overhear. Forgive me."

Link shook his head, dismissing the princess's eavesdropping and turning back around. "It's fine."

Zelda settled herself beside him. "So…Kid?"

"He's…" Link's gaze drifted down to his dozing counterpart. He looked to be sleeping peacefully but that didn't mean he wasn't still hurting. Link sighed. "I don't know."

Zelda nodded sagely as if she'd been expecting this answer. "And you?"

Link furrowed his brow, confused. "What about me?"

"Are you alright?"

"What kind of question's that?"

"A genuine one from a concerned friend," Zelda stated.

"I…" Link looked away from her, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know. It's just…" He blew out an aggravated sigh, struggling to keep his voice low. "It's not fair. They're  _kids_ , Zelda. They shouldn't have to do this stuff. They shouldn't have to worry about anything but growing up."

"It is cruel and unfair," Zelda agreed. "But I think that's one of the reasons why we met them."

Link shot her a puzzled look and the Princess of Hyrule took it as an invitation to continue. "We know exactly what it's like. We know what they're going through, so we're the best equipped to help them. Even before we met them, they were troubled by their pasts. Of course…what's going on now with Ghirahim isn't helping matters, but all of that…" She nodded at Kid, indicating his earlier breakdown. "…wasn't because of Ghirahim. He'd felt that way long before, and if he didn't have you, there'd be no way to fix what's broken."

"But I can't fix this," Link argued, barely managing to keep the volume of his voice in check. "I don't know how." He wished he did. He wished he could snap his fingers and make Kid happy again, but he didn't have that kind of power.

"You're doing fine in my opinion," Zelda offered. "Just look." She motioned to the boy in his lap. "He's sleeping now because of you."

Link considered this, brushing some of Kid's hair out of his face. No signs of distress showed itself.

"I am not suggesting that there's an immediate fix," Zelda continued. "However, comforting Kid and supporting him is helping even if it doesn't seem like it right now. At any rate, you're doing better than I am."

Link shot her a quizzical look, only to find the princess's eyes downcast. "What do you mean? You're doing fine. Tetra's just…Tetra."

Zelda shook her head. "I want to help her, but she makes it so difficult. I try to give her advice, but she doesn't heed it. All she does is push me away. I try to be kind to her but…I fear she despises me."

"Tetra doesn't despise you," Link objected. "She just…has trouble showing her feelings." The princess's gloomy expression remained so Link tried again. "When you were captured by Ghirahim she knew, and she insisted on saving you as soon as possible. She doesn't want you dead."

"Perhaps, but she does not favor me either," Zelda returned. "Not like Kid does you. Both of you are like siblings. I'd like to have that relationship with Tetra, but rather than a supporting older sister, I seem to be a wicked witch in her eyes."

"Give her time," Link advised. "She'll come around. Just keep being nice to her and eventually she'll have to acknowledge that you're not her enemy."

A small, appreciative smile alighted on Zelda's face. "Thank you, Link."

He smiled in return, and the two of them lapsed into contemplative silence.

"Speaking of enemies…" Zelda spoke up a few moments later. "Please, try to be nicer to Anjean."

The request caught Link off guard, and he immediately went on the defensive. "I am nice to her!"

"Giving her the wildest horse and letting her figure out how to calm and mount it herself is not what I would call nice," the princess retorted.

Guilt clutched his heart at that, and Zelda seemed to notice, her expression softening. "She's a child too, Link. Please, keep that in mind. I'm not suggesting that excuses her recent actions. However, do not hold them against her. She's been displaced, and she's obviously scared. Unlike Kid and Tetra, she doesn't have anyone to turn to."

"She has her "spirits," Link muttered.

Zelda shook her head. "I believe she's doubting them now. And guides aren't necessarily friends. Just…don't be too hard on her."

"Alright," Link conceded. He wasn't a fan of Anjean but he couldn't deny that Zelda was right. Plus, Kid was willing to forgive her to some extent, so the least he could do was try.

"You should bothgo to sleep," Midna interjected, melting out of the shadows and into plain sight after neither of them had spoken for a few minutes.

"Who will keep watch?" Link wondered.

Midna rolled her eyes at his daftness. "I will. After all, I don't have a broken kid to fix like you two."

"You could always take Anjean," Link quipped.

The Twilight Princess's gaze drifted over to the purple-haired girl and an expression of distaste flickered onto her face. "I'll pass."

"What I said to Link about being nice to her goes the same for you, Midna," Zelda voiced.

"Yeah, yeah." Midna waved the Hylian princess off playfully. "Go to sleep already. I'll wake you up if there's any trouble."

"You intend to keep watch all night?" Zelda inquired.

"Well, yeah," Midna replied, stretching. "If there's a battle tomorrow, I'm not going to be much help anyway, so it doesn't matter if I'm tired."

"Oh! Wait, if we can't kill Ghirahim then…" Link trailed off upon seeing the sour expression on his friend's face that indicated she'd come to the same conclusion herself. How exactly were they going to return Midna to her true form? Would sealing Ghirahim away be enough to dispel the curse?

"I am certain we'll figure something out," Zelda said softly. "There are plenty of magic users here. One of them must know some other way to return you to your true form."

Midna crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm counting on that. Now, you two go to sleep and leave this keeping watch thing to me."

With a small parting nod, the princess rose and returned to her previous resting place near the warm fire.

"Thanks for taking over, Midna," Link said, eyeing the black and white imp as she settled herself on the ground. As much as he'd like to deny it, he was tired.

"Go to sleep, wolf boy," Midna returned playfully.

Carefully, so as not to wake his sleeping counterpart, Link repositioned himself so that he was lying beside Kid. A definitive frown dominated Kid's face but Link couldn't tell if that meant he was having a bad dream or not. He watched him for a little while, just to make sure, but eventually Link closed his eyes as well and gave into sleep.

* * *

A decidedly gloomy sky greeted them in the morning, thus making it harder to motivate themselves to wake up. Nonetheless, everyone managed it after some breakfast, and they set off once again atop the horses.

To Link's relief, Tetra didn't object to Anjean taking the lead. She did, however, find something else to complain about hardly an hour into their journey.

"What is up with this wind?" Tetra demanded, irritably batting Zelda's braided hair aside as it whipped her in the face, and throwing a glare over her shoulder at Kid. "Can't you make it stop?"

"I can't control the weather," Kid returned. "The most I can do is change the wind direction."

"Then do that. I'd rather have it blowing behind us than against us," Tetra ordered, picking a red leaf out of her hair and releasing it so the wind whisked it away from her. Link watched the leaf as it blew past him and Kid, expecting it to change direction any second.

When it didn't, he glanced back at his counterpart, only to find him holding the Wind Waker with a puzzled look on his face.

"Not working?" Link wondered.

Kid shook his head. "It's working but…" Kid closed his eyes and bowed his head in concentration, holding the white baton aloft. He waved it around in a specific pattern that Link had come to association with the Wind's Requiem. Still, the wind did not shift.

"I can hear the wind," Kid said slowly, opening his eyes, "but that's not it."

Link furrowed his brow in concern. "What is it then?"

"I don't know, but it isn't natural."

"Just what are you leading us to?" Tetra interrogated Anjean, distrust evident in her tone. Link couldn't help but lack faith in Anjean as well, despite the princess's reminders last night. This powerful wind was strange, and it hadn't been present before.

"We're going to the Forest Sanctuary," Anjean replied, her violet eyes trained ahead on the lookout for abnormally large spiders.

"And is it normally this windy?" Tetra pressed.

Anjean hesitated. "…No."

"Could the Guardian of the Forest Realm be causing it?" Zelda proposed.

"Maybe?" The Lokomo girl sounded uncertain, and they left it at that.

As the group progressed, the gusts only became stronger and stronger, further solidifying their theory that something was amiss. Kid attempted to alter the mysterious wind's course multiple times without success.

Eventually, the horses refused to go any farther, as if taking the wind's hint to go away. Link attempted to coax them forward on foot but that failed also, so they turned the horses loose and hoped there would be more to wrangle later.

A half hour more of walking took them out of the forest, or rather, into a recently made clearing. Downed trees littered the ground like sticks, and the wind was so strong that the five of them could hardly stand on their own two feet.

Even shielding his eyes from the harsh winds, Link could see enough to discern the source. What looked to be a half-formed tornado swirled in the sky, centered around an object floating completely unaffected in its midst.

"What  _is_  that?" he wondered, squinting to see better.

"That is the Guardian of the Forest Realm," Anjean breathed in disbelief, staring in horror at the swirling mass. "Gage."


	23. The Possessed Lokomo-Gage

The wind was his element. Why, then, did the enemy before him intimidate him so?

" _That's_  this realm's guardian Lokomo?" Link asked incredulously.

Anjean gave a sorrowful nod.

"So the evil spirit possessing him can control the wind?" Kid guessed.

"No," Anjean and Zelda said at the same time. Both girls shared a look, and after a moment it was determined Anjean would continue the explanation alone. "Gage has a weapon called the Whirlwind. It allows him to create and manipulate mini whirlwinds. On his own, Gage couldn't do this. The evil spirit must be amplifying his power."

"Well, Wind Waker, you're up," Tetra declared, motioning him forward.

Kid stayed right where he was. "I can't compete with that!"

"You have a better chance than us," Tetra shot back. Kid couldn't deny that was true. Still, looking at the ominous vortex of wind, clouds, and forest debris swirling in the middle of the sky, Kid had no idea how he'd go about combating it with his baton. That wasn't the goddesses' wind. It was manmade and chaotic. It couldn't be controlled.

As if to support his belief, multiple smaller cyclone-like funnels split off of the large swirling mass in the center of the sky, one of which was on a direct path towards them.

"I think he knows we're here," Anjean breathed fearfully, putting a steadying hand on a tree that hadn't yet been blown down by the fierce winds.

"You don't say!" Tetra cried sarcastically.

"Move!" Link urged them, grabbing Tetra's arm to hurry her along since she seemed much more inclined to stand around and yell at the lavender-haired girl all day than do as he said.

The rest of them took it upon themselves to follow Link out of the cyclone's path. Even so, Kid could feel the pulling of it as it drew closer, and he knew he wouldn't be able to stand his ground. Not without some help.

"Iron boots!" he called out to clue Link in to his idea as he dug through his belongings for the metal footwear. He found them quickly and pulled them out, securing them to his feet. A quick glance at his counterpart proved that his warning had been heeded, and not a moment too soon, for the vortex was nearly next to them.

Tetra began to slide, and Kid reached out to her with his left arm, inviting her to hold on. She did so without a word. The princess followed suit with her own hero, and since Anjean was closest to him, Kid allowed her to latch on to his other arm for support, though he couldn't help tensing at her touch.

The wind buffeted them as it passed by, pulling at their clothes in an attempt to suck them in. Kid gritted his teeth and dug his feet into the ground as best he could, tightening his grip on the two girls as he did so. Anjean let out a frightened squeak and squeezed his arm so tight that he thought she'd break it.

Fortunately the massive cyclone passed them by before that could happen. The pressure on his arms abated, and Kid breathed out a sigh of relief that they hadn't all been blown away and both his arms were still intact.

It was short lived, however.

Displeased that they hadn't been swept away and destroyed like the surrounding trees, the possessed man sent out another round of cyclones. This time, they were nearly as large as the main vortex, and, once again, Kid and his ragtag group were in the direct path of one.

Frantically, Kid shook off the girls and bent down to unfasten the heavy boots from his feet.

Link had other plans. "Midna!"

Kid glanced up from his work only to find that the Twilight Princess hadn't appeared. Their doom, on the other hand, had drawn even closer, and Kid returned to his work with renewed vigor, fumbling with the mechanism to release his foot from the metal. Noticing the danger as well, Tetra crouched down to help him.

"Midna, wake up! We need you!" Link shouted.

"Wha-?" The black and white imp yawned, drifting up groggily from the shadows only to be nearly blown away by the punishing winds. She quickly latched onto Link, wide awake. "What is  _that_?"

"Do you have enough magic to do quick equips?" Link asked her, blatantly ignoring her question.

"Quick equips?" Midna wondered as Kid managed to half free himself from the iron weighing him down.

"You know, like what you did for me during the fight with Dangoro?" Link reminded her. "We had to swap between the iron boots and no iron boots."

"Oh yeah!" Midna exclaimed in remembrance. "I can do that."

"Good!" Link said. "Kid, forget it, and jump."

Kid paused and looked up in confusion at his counterpart. "Jump?"

"Do it!" So saying, Link hopped in place, and when he landed the iron boots on his feet were gone, whisked away by Midna's magic.

Straightening along with Tetra, Kid copied Link, and sure enough, his iron boots disappeared.

"Now run!"

Link didn't have to tell him twice. He booked it out of the cyclone's path with everyone else.

"Jump again," Link ordered, hopping in place once more.

Kid complied, the sudden weight added to his feet making him stumble upon landing. He found his center of balance again, and Anjean and Tetra resumed their previous positions to either side of him while Zelda attached herself to Link and Midna sought safety in his shadow.

The vortex blew past them just like it did last time, and Kid bowed his head and squeezed his eyes shut so that nothing flew into his eyes. The wind was so much stronger than anything he could whip up with the Wind Waker, so there was no chance he could give Gage a taste of his own medicine. Or…was there? Maybe he didn't need the strength. Maybe he just needed to redirect its course.

"I have an idea!" Kid gasped, snapping his eyes open as the worst of the cyclone passed them. "Tetra, you have to let go."

"No way!" Tetra refused, tightening her already crushing grip on his arm and causing him to wince as pain flashed through his wound.

"Tetra, hang onto me," Link commanded, reaching out his free hand towards her.

The pirate captain ignored him and nodded to Anjean. "Why can't  _she_  let go?"

"'Cause I need my left arm!" Kid returned, watching in dismay as the cyclone passed them by completely and began to dissipate.

"Tetra, come over here," Link urged her.

Again, Tetra refused. "No!"

"Forget it." Kid sighed in exasperation as the cyclone continued on its destructive path, getting smaller and smaller as it went. "It won't work now. We have to wait for him to do that again." The cyclone had to be at peak power or else his redirecting it would be for naught.

"Tetra, why can't you just do what you're told?" Link demanded.

"Excuse me if I don't want to be blown away!" Tetra shot back hotly.

"You weren't going to be!" Link argued. "I was going to hold onto you."

"I don't want you holding onto me!" Tetra yelled.

"Tetra, please, for safety's sake, don't argue," Zelda interjected, her tone close to pleading.

Sensing that his best friend was going to argue anyway, Kid interrupted. "Tetra, you can hold onto me next time, but I need my left arm free."

"Good," Tetra said, satisfied. She glared at the purple-haired girl who was still holding onto Kid's right arm. "Anjean, go hug a tree next time."

"Tetra!" Zelda snapped.

"Zelda!" Tetra returned mockingly.

Link shook his head at their companion's antics. "Anjean, next time, hold onto me."

Anjean nodded. "Okay."

Next time came sooner rather than later, and Kid and Link found themselves having to rely on Midna's "quick equips" once more in order to scramble out of the way.

With his iron-booted feet planted firmly on the ground and Tetra squeezing his right arm, Kid slipped the Wind Waker out of his belt and hurriedly conducted the Wind's Requiem. Only then did he find a flaw in his plan. He had no idea where north was.

"Tetra, do you have a compass?" Kid asked, frantically turning to his pirate friend.

She fumbled in her wallet a second before pulling out a compass.

"Which way's north?"

After briefly consulting the instrument, Tetra pointed. "That way."

With his internal compass reoriented, Kid figured out which direction he needed and guided the wind accordingly so that the massive whirlwind swirling towards them would be pushed back to its source.

To his delight, it worked like a charm. But now wasn't the time to celebrate. His plan was only half complete. Tucking the Wind Waker back into his belt, Kid fumbled with one hand in his pouch for a bomb. Pulling the explosive out, Kid lit it and cocked his arm back to toss it into the redirected cyclone.

"Stop!" Anjean's cry gave him pause, and he glanced over just in time to see the girl barreling towards him. She all but threw herself at him, grabbing his arm and snatching the bomb from his grasp.

"What are you doing?" Tetra shouted, taking an unsuccessful swipe at the Lokomo girl with one hand. "Give it back!"

"No!" Anjean refuted, but Kid barely heard her. All his attention was focused on the lit bomb in the girl's hand. Did she plan to blow them all to pieces?

Steeling his courage, the Hero of Winds made his own attempt at reclaiming the bomb, only to be avoided. Anjean's eyes blazed with determination, and Kid was ashamed to admit that he was afraid of her.

Still, he'd never let fear stop him, and he wasn't going to start now. After a quick glance to check on the tornado's position, Kid deemed it safe enough and jumped in place to signal Midna to remove his iron boots. She complied, and he launched himself at Anjean with newfound agility.

Shouts from Link and Zelda met his ears but Kid didn't bother listening to them. All his concentration was poured into disarming Anjean.

With Tetra's aid, it wasn't as difficult as he'd anticipated, and he was in possession of the bomb again in a matter of moments.

The fuse was shortening rapidly but countless battles had trained Kid's eyes to know how much time he had before a bomb was going to blow. Seven seconds. Plenty of time for it to be whisked by hurricane force winds to his enemy.

Kid wrenched back his arm and threw, watching with satisfaction as the bomb flew through the air towards its target.

Anjean wasn't nearly as pleased. She whirled around on him, and he was stunned to find her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "You can't hurt him!"

Kid was lost for words. Thankfully, Tetra never was. "Why not? You can just heal him when he's sane again."

"I can't heal him if you kill him!" Anjean cried.

"Oh, so you thought you'd kill us instead?" Tetra snapped. "Wonderful plan you got there!"

"I-!" A punishing gust of wind cut off Anjean's retort, and they all braced themselves, expecting it to let up in a second or two. Except…it didn't.

"Watch out!" Link warned.

Peeking over the arm he'd raised to shield his face from the wind, Kid was shocked to find a ticking bomb hurtling towards his face. Apparently, his redirection of the wind hadn't been as successful as he'd initially thought.

He stumbled back, partly from self-preservation and partly from the wind, his hand reaching for the Wind Waker at his belt. There was still time to change it if he was fast, right? How long had it been? Three seconds? Four?

It didn't matter. He wasn't given the chance to do anything before the hurricane force winds arrived, bowling them all over like empty bottles. Kid began to slide backwards, grasping at the ground for some type of leverage, except there was none. Any that may have existed had no doubt been torn out of the ground long before they'd arrived.

He gritted his teeth, praying to the gods that the winds would cease. Just for a moment so he could get his bearings.

And suddenly, it did.

But not because he'd willed it. No, Kid was positive that the blue rectangular barrier in front of him had something to do with it. Everything to do with it, actually.

He could still see the wind and all the forest debris it carried swirling beyond the barrier. He could feel the tug of it at the very edges of the barrier as the wind swept over and around it. Yet, it did not pummel and push him like it had.

Sitting up, Kid threw a glance towards Zelda, noting the concentration on her face and the way she held her hands out in front of her as she sat on the ground, as if she was begging, no commanding, the wind to stop.

Kid opened his mouth to express his thanks, but before he could utter a sound, an explosion met his ears. The punishing wind was back in an instant, only this time there was no build-up. There was no falling and sliding. Only flying.

A scream was wrenched from Kid's throat as he soared through the air and slammed into the unforgiving trunk of a tree.

He crumpled at the base, pain lancing through his back. The harsh wind howled in his ears as if it were guffawing at their failure.

After what felt like a century, it ebbed, and Kid dared to peek over his folded arms. Groans sounded all around him as his companions deemed it safe to move as well.

"Is everyone alright?" Link asked, climbing with deliberate slowness to his feet.

"More or less," Kid mumbled, struggling to his knees and rubbing his sore back.

Tetra amazed him when she jumped up without a hint of pain or stiffness. The only expression on her face was anger as she whirled around on Anjean, who was getting shakily to her feet. "This wouldn't have happened if you didn't get in the way!"

"I couldn't let him hurt Gage like that!" Anjean protested. She turned to Kid then, and he couldn't help but flinch a little at her intense expression. "He isn't evil. He's possessed. Imagine if one of your friends was up there!"

Involuntarily, Kid did so, and immediately guilt twisted in his gut at trying to bomb the innocent man in the middle of the monster cyclone. He didn't hurt people. He protected them. But if the person doing the hurting was a person and not a monster, how was he supposed to protect himself and everyone else? "I'm sorry... But if we can't hurt him, how can we beat him?"

Anjean's gaze shifted to the possessed Gage. "I can render him unconscious without hurting him, but I need to be close."

"Our first priority should be getting his weapon away from him," Zelda spoke up as Link helped her to her feet. "Without it, he can't fight back."

"Well, he can," Anjean corrected her, "but it will be easier for us to fight him if he doesn't have the Whirlwind."

"Great, so how do we do that?" Link asked as Kid rose painfully. His back was definitely bruised.

Anjean hummed in thought, but there was no time to contemplate a plan of action. The possessed Gage, apparently dissatisfied with their distance from him, had sent out another round of cyclones to force them out of existence, or at the very least, out of his sight.

As the five of them ran out of the way of the nearest cyclone and resumed their stance from before, Kid was formulating with a timid plan. In all honesty, he had no idea if it would work, but anything was worth a shot.

Tugging the white baton free of his belt, Kid held it aloft.

"Don't hurt him," Anjean reminded him, trepidation lacing her words.

"I'm not," Kid assured her, closing his eyes and attempting to find the rhythm in the wind.

"Do you have a plan?" Link wondered, his tone bordering on hopeful.

"Kind of," Kid returned as the whirlwind drew nearer, and Tetra tightened her grip on him.

Conducting the Wind's Requiem once more, Kid concentrated on the symphonic sounds of the natural wind and asked something of it he had never asked before.

' _Zephos,'_ Kid thought. _'Help me, please.'_

He waited. Would Zephos respond? Was he even obligated to? Just because Kid was given the gods' power, didn't mean that he could call on them anytime he liked, surely? If anything, it meant they favored him, and if that was the case they would answer, right? Or… maybe not.

' _Is that you young Wind Waker?'_

Kid gasped involuntarily at hearing the wind god's voice in his mind, startling his companions.

"What?" Link wondered, but Kid ignored him.

' _Yes! It's me! Could both you and your brother come over here? I need help.'_

' _You're a long way from the Great Sea.'_

' _Is that a problem?'_ Kid wondered, his fragile hope vanishing just as quickly as it had appeared.

' _Haha, not at all. I'll grab Cyclos, and we'll head right over.'_

' _Thank you!'_

Kid opened his eyes and lowered the baton, expecting it to take a while for the wind gods to arrive. He turned to inform his companions, only to find the sea-green hued frog already there, sitting atop his cloud.

He jumped. "Wow! That was fast!"

"These are mighty powerful winds you've got on your hands here, Wind Waker. You were wise in calling us," Zephos said, his eyes on the swirling vortex in the sky within which the possessed Lokomo was encased.

"I don't see why you need us," Cyclos said gruffly from his right, eyeing the smaller tornados as they whipped by. "You've got a heck of an arm. Just shoot him like you did me and your problem will be solved."

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Zelda inquired politely, regarding the floating frogs with uncertainty.

"They're gods," Anjean breathed, violet eyes shining in wonder as she peered up at the cloud-riding frogs.

"Calling wind gods was your plan?" Link wondered, readjusting his grip on the two girls in his care.

Kid shrugged, then turned to the purple-hued frog. "I can't shoot him because we can't hurt him. I just want to get his weapon away from him. That's what's creating the wind. Can you help me?"

"Sure, I have a cyclone powerful enough for the job," Cyclos replied, a wicked gleam in his eye that didn't go unnoticed by his brother.

"I'll do my best to minimize my brother's destructive force," Zephos pledged. "However, you must lead us, Wind Waker."

Kid nodded in understanding and faced the nearly black vortex swirling in the middle of the sky, raising his baton in preparation to lead the wind gods.

"Wait a minute!" Tetra interjected. She leveled a look at the deities that was in no way respectful. Then again, respectful wasn't really the pirate girl's forte. "You're the  _wind_ gods, aren't you? Can't you just stop his tornados and save us the trouble?"

"Unfortunately, it's not that simple," Zephos said as his brother cackled madly like Tetra had just cracked some hilarious joke. "We do indeed have control over the wind, but only the goddesses' wind. Man-made wind is a different element entirely. In fact, it isn't an element at all, just stirred air. If we were the gods of air, perhaps we could do something, but as it stands, we don't have any more control over his tornados than you do."

"Well, that blows," Tetra huffed, thoroughly unimpressed with the gods Kid had summoned.

Wanting to get this over with as soon as possible, Kid turned to his companions. "All of you should step back. I don't want to blow any of you away accidentally."

"I'm coming with you," Link announced.

"There won't be enough room," Kid objected with regret. Truthfully, he'd like to have someone other than the wind gods there with him.

"Then…" Link's eyes roved the ground for an answer and found one almost instantly. "Midna, go with him."

"Alright," the Twili replied, remaining in her shadowy form as she transitioned from Link's shadow to Kid's.

"Be careful," Link said, glancing between Kid and his shadow.

"We'll be fine," Midna assured him, while Kid offered his counterpart a small smile. They would indeed be fine.

"Tetra, come on," Zelda called to her counterpart.

"Don't do anything stupid, stupid," Tetra muttered before releasing her grip on his arm and running to join everyone else.

Once he saw that his companions were at a relatively safe distance and Link had his iron boots equipped just in case the need arose, Kid began.

He called upon Cyclos first, a fact that seemed to delight the destructive wind god, conducting the Ballad of Gales in order to signal the purple frog to construct a mass of swirling wind that could stand against their enemy's. It swirled around them wrapping them in a cocoon of wind, and Kid quickly lost sight of his companions. He didn't panic, though. As long as he remained in the middle of the gale with the deities, he would be safe.

"That guy's sending out more tornados," Cyclos warned from above Kid's head where he was viewing the proceedings and gathering more wind for ultimate destruction.

"That's fine. Concentrate on ours," Kid ordered, feeling slightly odd doing so. This was a god he was talking to after all. Albeit, a frog deity, but a deity nonetheless.

Shaking the distracting thoughts out of his head, Kid turned to the sea-green frog floating next to him. "Can you whip up a wind powerful enough to push those tornados back at him?"

"Raw power is Cyclos's department, but I can try," Zephos replied. With that, Kid hurriedly conducted the Wind's Requiem and directed it towards the possessed Lokomo and his tornado which had nearly reached the ground at this point.

Kid could barely see through the swirling mess around him but he _thought_ he could see a few of Gage's cyclones redirecting their course. A moment later, Cyclos confirmed it, and Kid breathed out a small sigh of relief. So far so good, but now came the hard part.

Experimentally, he hopped in place. His iron boots were whisked off his feet by Midna, his shadow giggling when he stumbled upon landing. He doubted he'd get used to that distinct carpet-wrenched-out-from-under-your-feet feeling anytime soon. Nonetheless, he was grateful for the swiftness Midna granted him by changing out his equipment for him.

He guided the direction of the wind once more with the Wind's Requiem as extra support before tilting his head back to address the frog deity hovering above him.

"Is it ready, Cyclos?"

"On your mark, Wind Waker," Cyclos returned, and Kid nodded, looking ahead again.

Preparing himself for what he was about to do with a deep breath, Kid brandished the Wind Waker and pointed it ahead. "Forward!"

He'd been smart to remove his iron boots for Cyclos's cyclone moved far faster than he would have been able to move with metal on his feet, especially considering all the downed trees that he was forced to hurdle along the way.

Soon enough, debris consisting of leaves, branches, and miscellaneous foliage joined their whirlwind, and Kid eyed it warily as he slid off of a thick, snapped tree trunk. That could only mean they were getting closer, and he had no idea what would happen once they hit Gage's tornado. He hoped their tornado would cancel his, but then, there was no guaranteeing that.

The closer and closer they creeped, the less and less Kid felt secure in the eye of the wind gods' tornado. He could feel the unnatural wind pulling at his hair and clothes now, fighting to whisk him out of safety. Briefly, he contemplated reequipping his iron boots, but he couldn't risk a stumble now, so it was little more than a wish as the winds screamed around him, and he fought the urge to clap his hands over his ears to block it out. He did, however, put a hand to his head to hold his hat down upon feeling it slipping off.

Without any prior warning, a great big bang that seemed to deafen him sounded, and his safety was gone. All wind ceased to blow. The heavy stillness in the air was nearly as suffocating as the funnels of wind that had just burst into nothingness like bubbles.

Floating in the air, plain for all to see was a man. Kid really shouldn't have been surprised at his bushy green hair. His eyes, though… His eyes were a different story.

As soon as Kid caught sight of them, he knew that the man before him was possessed. He didn't need magical spirit-seeing powers to know. He just knew because normal people did not have twin black holes for eyes.

It was as if the man's pupils had expanded to fill every inch of his eyeballs and as Kid stared into those cavernous orbs, he swore that they could swallow him whole. That they  _were_  swallowing him whole. They hypnotized him, and for a second Kid forgot his purpose. He forgot the danger, mesmerized by the disturbing sight.

The Lokomo seemed curious about him as well, staring at him while hovering in the air, buoyed by an unknown wind. Slowly, or maybe it just seemed slow to him as moments of crisis typically do, the guardian raised his hand, bringing an odd pinwheel like object into view. And then, he blew.

Kid didn't have time to do anything but gasp as the whirlwind formed out of nowhere, just as large as one of Cyclos's cyclones, and hurled him backwards. Desperately, he fumbled for his Deku Leaf, but it was difficult to root through his belongings while tumbling head over heels. He only had one other idea.

"MIDNA!" Kid screamed.

The Twilight Princess delivered, though not as readily as he would have liked or as smoothly. Sudden weight on his feet dragged him down to the ground alright, but as he was in mid tumble, his landing was far from graceful.

"Sorry, kiddo," the Twili apologized, tucked safely in his shadow as the whirlwind howled past. "It's hard to judge when you're flying through the air like that."

Kid didn't complain, just kept his head down as debris flew past him, and dug the toes of his boots into the ground, conscious of his stinging palms and the fallen tree he was draped over.

"Kid!" Link's far-off cry urged him to look up just in time to see the possessed Lokomo bearing down on him, a short sword he'd failed to take note of earlier in the man's grip.

A wall of wind suddenly separated them, and Kid instinctively scrambled back. He needn't have worried, though. He was safe within the eye of Cyclos's most recent cyclone.

"What now, Wind Waker?" Cyclos inquired as Kid rose, Midna slipping the iron boots off his feet so he could move more freely.

The young hero opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. He didn't know.

Perhaps to spare him from that fact, Gage dispersed the wind god's cyclone in much the same way that they had just dispersed his, leaving Kid face-to-face with the man.

Instinct drew his sword from its sheath, and Kid swung to parry the Lokomo's gleaming short sword. Unfortunately, instinct didn't account for the strength of his opponent, and Kid was immediately knocked off balance.

He stumbled, barely twisting out of the way of the next attack. And the next. And the next after that. Until finally he was forced to block the following strike with his sword due to their close proximity. The short sword's blade grated on the Master Sword as Kid used two hands to keep it in place. Even so, it wavered. He couldn't fend off the man for long.

Ducking to the side, Kid slid the Master Sword off of his enemy's blade and attempted a stab. Unsurprisingly, the man dodged it, leaping into the air. What Kid didn't expect was for the possessed Lokomo to stay there, like a puppet suspended by a string, and raise the Whirlwind to his lips.

A force of wind slammed Kid into the dirt. He attempted to rise but found himself unable. His limbs were pinned, as if the wind were a person sitting atop him, chaining his wrists and torso and ankles to the ground. His face, likewise, was pressed into the earth so he couldn't see the short sword as it came down.

He did however, feel it as the sword clattered onto his shield. Surprised that it didn't hurt considering the amount of strength he knew the man possessed, Kid attempted to turn his head only to find that he was still held captive by the crushing wind. Soon enough, it too, abated and Kid scrambled to his feet, whirling around to find Gage's sword on the ground and the Lokomo man at a respectable distance, eyes narrowed in his direction.

But the glare wasn't for him.

"Kid, are you alright?" He turned to see Link.

"Yeah," he said. "What'd you-"

Link held up his Gale Boomerang in answer.

"Ah."

"Watch out you two!" Tetra exclaimed, alerting them to the fact that Gage was sending a vortex of wind their way. They both jumped, and Midna equipped their iron boots for them. Even so, Link held onto Kid's wrist as the whirlwind passed over them.

"The middle of a battlefield isn't a great spot for a chat, ya know!" Tetra berated them from afar once the worst of the cyclone had passed.

Kid ignored her, as did Link. His attention was on Gage. Or, rather, the spot Gage  _used_ to be.

"He's-" Kid didn't get to finish his sentence, for a gust of wind nearly blew his hat off, and screams arose from behind him. Unlike the two heroes, the three girls had nothing to anchor them to the ground. Kid made to run for them, momentarily forgetting the weights on his feet. However, before he could take a step, his aid was proved unneeded.

In the blink of an eye, a dome of blue surrounded the three of them, sparing the girls from Gage's wrath.

Nonetheless, Kid refused to breathe a sigh of relief with danger so close. He whirled around just in time to find Gage readying his Whirlwind.

Kid snatched the Wind Waker from his belt and conducted the Ballad of Gales faster than he ever had before, prompting Cyclos to instantly construct a rather cramped cyclone around him and Link. They didn't have long.

"If I distract him, can you get the Whirlwind away from him with your Gale Boomerang?" Kid asked his counterpart, shoving the Wind Waker back into his belt and rummaging through his bag for tools to aid him in his self-assigned task as distractor.

"Yeah, but I don't want you being the distraction," Link replied. "It's too dangerous. I'll distract him, and you disarm him with the Gale Boomerang." His counterpart offered him the Fairy-of-Winds-blessed boomerang, but Kid declined it with a quick shake of his head.

"It won't work like that."

"You're the Wind Waker and you can throw a boomerang," Link argued, shaking the boomerang a little in an attempt to inspire Kid to take it instead of removing his bow and quiver from his bag and slinging them over his shoulder. "It'll work fine."

"I'm not talking about the boomerang," Kid said. He pulled out his Deku Leaf. "I'm talking about this."

Link just stared at it, confused.

"The Deku Leaf only works with magic, and you don't have any so you can't use it," Kid explained quickly. Besides, even if the Hero of Twilight did possess magic, Kid doubted that the leaf, magical though it may be, would hold Link considering the heavy chainmail he wore.

"I still don't like it," Link protested. To be completely honest, Kid didn't either. But they had little choice, so he forgot about Link's concerns and his own and instead addressed the more spirited of the two wind gods.

"Cyclos! I need a lot more cyclones. Can you spread them out around this area?"

"Tall order there, Wind Waker," Cyclos grumbled from above his head where he was busy strengthening the current tornado swirling around them so that the possessed man would have to work harder to dismantle it. Even so, Kid could see the winds wavering. They had precious seconds before it broke entirely.

"Sorry!" he called up to the purple frog. He got no response, but he did see, through the all too quickly dispersing winds protecting them, more cyclones pop up around the area.

"Zephos, protect everyone else, please!" Kid exclaimed, hopping in place and being relieved of his iron boots. Then, before Link could grab him and stop him, Kid stepped back into the wind, and raised the oversized leaf above his head, spreading it so that it caught the dying gusts and whisked him into the air.

With a bird's eye view, it was much easier to spot the cyclones Cyclos had scattered around the area for his benefit. Kid angled his body towards the nearest one, willing the wind to carry him faster. As if reading his mind, a breath of wind that could only be Zephos's doing brushed him closer to his destination, and he silently thanked the wind god in his head, though it was unclear if the deity could actually hear him or not.

As soon as he reached the next cyclone, the one that had given him his initial leg up into the air had been completely destroyed by Gage. Luckily, Link still had the iron boots on so he was immune to all gales. He was not, however, immune to other physical attacks.

Sensing this, the possessed man dropped to Link's level. He threw a punch that Link just barely dodged and followed up with a kick to the side that the Hero of Twilight had no hope of evading. Being the distraction was definitely safer, Kid decided then. Not that it mattered. He didn't want Link in danger any more than he wanted himself in danger.

He inhaled a deep breath, steeling himself, before releasing half of the Deku Leaf. He plummeted instantly. The ground was fast approaching, but Kid didn't allow himself to think about that as he slid his bow off his shoulder and drew an arrow with the hand still holding the leaf. With great difficulty and the leaf slapping his cheek, Kid notched the arrow and fired, hardly bothering to aim, before hastily returning his other hand to the Deku Leaf and being jerked back into the air.

He hissed in pain at the strain on his arm but endured it, his eyes on the two figures below. The green-haired man had ceased fighting Link, his attention now focused on the arrow that had buried itself nearby.

Kid couldn't help but feel satisfied. He'd done it! He'd diverted Gage's attention without hurting him.

His satisfaction quickly disappeared, though, as the possessed man's gaze shot to him. He knew then that he had to move, and move he did.

Leaning to the right, Kid traveled out of the buoying winds of one cyclone and towards another. The possessed Lokomo, however, didn't let him get that far.

An intimidating whirlwind of gray clouds and debris was heading straight for him, and he had no idea what to do. Dropping to the ground crossed his mind, but he dismissed it quickly. If he did that he wouldn't have time to run, and something told him that if he equipped the iron boots now, assuming Midna was still with him, in order to withstand the gale on the ground, he'd likely break both his ankles upon impact.

That only left him with one option. An option he wasn't used to having, but was more than willing to use nonetheless.

He screamed for help.

Unfortunately his cry wasn't heard. Not over the massive whirlwind that was now bearing down on him.

Something nicked his cheek, leaving it stinging, and encouraging him to close his eyes. However, he swiftly opened them again upon feeling the turbulence as the wind buffeted him from all sides and sucked him in much like a whirlpool would.

Though he didn't care to admit it, he panicked. All reason seemed to leave him then, and he did the only thing he could think of. It was the instinctive thing. The thing most sure to return him to some semblance of normalcy. It also just so happened to be the stupidest thing he could have done. He let go.

Now he was not a leaf to be twirled dizzyingly around the vortex's finger. He was a weight to be thrown around. Kid screamed, immediately choking on dust and whatever else was in the air. A flash of cerulean alighted in his vision as he tumbled through the air, but he hardly noticed. He was too busy fumbling for a grip on his Deku Leaf. After what felt like an eternity, he found it, and it slowed him down considerably, though not enough apparently, since when he crashed into a tree shortly after the tree groaned with him.

The wind had died suddenly, leaving his ears screaming with silence as he lay on the ground atop something warm. Something definitely  _not_ a tree, Kid realized, cautiously peeling open his eyes since touch alone wasn't helping him identify the mysterious object. He was met with fabric, and that was when he knew for certain. He wasn't laying on something. He was on someone.

Kid gasped, jumping up only to trip on a raised root and land on his backside. He was left staring wide-eyed at Princess Zelda. A look of fierce concentration was on her face as she lay on the ground with the palm of her right hand held above her as if she was trying to keep the ceiling from crushing her. Except…they were in a forest, and there was no ceiling unless the sparkling blue dome they were encased in counted.

Rather quickly, Kid decided that it did, and he couldn't help but watch, mesmerized as the tornado that had blown him off course raged around them, kept at bay only by Zelda's shield.

It passed after what felt like far too long, and when it did the princess lowered her hand, the dome of protection around them fading.

"Are you alright?" she asked levering herself into a sitting positon and turning to face him. She looked exhausted.

"Y-yes," Kid stammered, still unable to comprehend what had just happened. "Thanks."

The princess inclined her head in acknowledgment of his gratitude.

"How did you…?" Kid's question went unfinished. Nonetheless, Zelda understood it.

"I used teleportation magic," the princess supplied.

Kid blinked. "You have teleportation magic?"

"Yes," Zelda returned, smiling warily. "However, it takes quite a bit of energy."

Now it was his turn to ask about her wellbeing. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, just drained," the princess assured him.

The sweat beading her brow and the heavy breaths she was trying to hide didn't convince him, so he offered her the only thing he could. "If you take a green potion, it will restore your magic."

The princess, who seemed to have forgotten this detail in her exhaustion, immediately set to rummaging through her satchel. She found the desired potion in a heartbeat and began to drink it. Coughing after she'd downed the last of it, Zelda turned to him and already he could see that she looked much better than before.

"You should take a potion as well," Zelda advised, getting to her feet and brushing off her dress. "Then we must rejoin the battle. The others won't be able to hold him off for long."

Kid climbed shakily to his feet. "We can join them now." He wasn't going to waste a potion on a few insignificant cuts. They needed to save them for emergencies.

"…If you're certain," Zelda acquiesced after a moment of hesitation. Kid nodded, and the two were off. It wasn't long before Kid realized he was missing something.

"My bow and quiver. They're both gone!" His eyes went to the ground, madly searching for them.

Zelda placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of looking for them at the moment. We will search later."

Kid frowned, but agreed, tightening his grip on the Deku Leaf clutched in his left hand. At least he still had  _that_.

The two of them hastened to the battlefield. It was still riddled with cyclones. However, Gage had added his own tornados to the mix and the masses of wind were promptly tearing each other apart. There would be no more flying for him. Not that he could've done much as a distraction without his bow anyway.

"This way," Zelda urged him, leading him through a path that was the least cluttered with downed trees and far enough away from any warring whirlwinds that they wouldn't be blown off their feet. He followed her, ducking under branches when he could and climbing over them when he couldn't. Eventually, they reached Link and Tetra, both of which were tensely watching the battle between Anjean and Gage.

Kid couldn't help but stare when he noticed it. The two Lokomo were engaged in a furious dance around the cluttered battlefield. Punches and kicks were thrown and blocked, parried and countered. A glint of metal made Kid squint and lean forward for a better look. That's when he saw it.

"Is she…wearing my iron boots?"

A giggle sounded from the shadows. "Hope you don't mind. He kept trying to blow her away otherwise, and Link was doing an awful job of keeping up with him."

"Never mind that," Link said, turning to Kid. "Can you make another distraction? He keeps dodging my Gale Boomerang even with Anjean there."

"Yeah, but I can't do what I did before." The four of them took a moment to take in the state of the battlefield.

"Try using your boomerang," Tetra suggested. Lacking a better idea, Kid took her advice and removed the yellow boomerang from his belongings.

Placing himself in a slightly more advantageous position, Kid prepared to throw his boomerang, except, he was having trouble locking onto his target. It was like trying to hit a fish as it passed in a roaring river. Gage was moving far too swiftly for him to properly target him.

"You don't have to hit him," Link reminded him. This piece of information gave Kid the incentive he needed to release the boomerang. Surprisingly, his aim was better than he'd thought, for the boomerang nearly struck its intended target. Gage, however, jumped back out of the way at the last second, letting the yellow blur whiz by before re-engaging Anjean in battle.

The Gale Boomerang, however, wasn't far behind, and the possessed man could not dodge it as readily as he had the previous. That was mainly because Anjean saw it coming and restrained him for a brief second. But a second was all that was required.

Riding on a mini whirlwind of its own, the fairy-possessed boomerang snatched the leaf-like pinwheel tool out of Gage's grip. The man threw Anjean off, but it was too late.

A rush of wind had already delivered the Whirlwind and the Gale Boomerang to Link, and the Hero of Twilight took possession of them both.

"This little thing is what was causing all that?" Link wondered, holding up the Whirlwind in disbelief. Kid had to agree. The tool wasn't very large and would fit comfortably in a child's hand. It wasn't even very impressive looking, as it seemed to be carved entirely out of wood. Even the "leaves," Kid realized, were simply painted green.

"It seems our work is done," Cyclos observed, coming to float on his cloud at Kid's right shoulder.

"Don't hesitate to call us again if the need arises," Zephos said, appearing at his left.

"May the winds of fortune fill your sails!" both frog deities exclaimed in farewell as a strong breeze whisked them away and over the treetops, presumably in the direction of the Great Sea.

They all stared after the deities until Tetra snatched the Whirlwind from Link. "Don't just let their help go to waste. We have to hide this thing so he can't get it back."

It was then that Kid noticed the possessed Gage had forgotten all about Anjean. He was now approaching them, flying through the air like Kid had grown used to Midna doing, only faster. Much faster.

Anjean was on his tail, hopping from fallen tree to fallen tree in a way that wasn't quite human, the iron boots gone from her feet. Even so, there was no way would she be able to catch up before Gage reached them. She just wasn't fast enough.

"Midna, take it," Link ordered. The Whirlwind disappeared in a flurry of blocky twilit particles, leaving Tetra grasping nothing.

"What now?" the pirate girl asked, drawing her dagger. Kid placed a hand on his own weapon but didn't draw it.

"Knock him out?" Kid suggested. It was the best course of action and least likely to result in their deaths.

"How?!" Tetra demanded.

Unfortunately, there was no time to formulate a plan of action, for Gage reached them just then, his all too full and empty eyes trained on Link. Chatting was over.

Zelda threw up a dome of sparkling blue around them all, but it wasn't enough. As soon as Gage struck it with his gleaming short sword, which he must have reclaimed on the way over, it shattered, and the princess was knocked off her feet.

Link was now wide open.

A backflip spared the Hero of Twilight from the first swipe of the Lokomo's weapon but not the second. The short sword cut into Link's arm, and he hissed in pain, stumbling back and automatically covering the injury with his hand.

In an instant, Kid found the Master Sword in his hand and was moving to defend his counterpart. Just before he reached the possessed man, Gage leapt into the air. Kid then found himself face-to-face with Tetra, who also happened to be charging into battle from the opposite side. Their momentum carried them into each other and toppled them both.

"Idiot!" Tetra screamed from where she was sprawled on the ground, clutching her head like Kid.

"It wasn't my fault," he protested, rubbing his head with his free hand and wincing at the pain. It felt like he'd run into a wall.

"Gage, please stop!" Anjean cried, throwing herself in front of them, arms held out wide. Kid glanced up just in time to see the possessed Lokomo shooting towards Anjean, weapon raised.

"Move!" he warned her, scrambling to his feet and ignoring the pain in his head.

It was too late. Gage was attacking, and Kid could do nothing but watch as Anjean dodged at the last second. He went for her again, but unlike Link, she was just as fast as their opponent. Anjean ducked and whipped around, kicking out at the man while he was wide open. Her booted foot struck him square in the chest, and he went flying backwards.

"Quickly, Tetra, help me erect a shield," Zelda ordered, marching over to her counterpart and reaching out her hand.

Gage had already managed to get his bearings and was advancing once more, even more intent on killing them than before if that were possible.

Tetra clasped the princess's hand and a barrier of shimmering blue surrounded them. Kid hoped this one would hold better than the last. He glanced over his shoulder at Link.

"Are you okay?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Kid already knew the answer. Link was paler than usual and the blood streaming down his arm and through his fingers didn't show any signs of stopping.

His counterpart offered him a grim smile. "Not really."

"Allow me," Anjean said, striding over to Link with purpose. She gently motioned for Link to lift his hand and he did so, if a bit reluctantly. Kid looked away as soon as he saw a flash of white.

A sharp intake of breath caused him to completely turn around, and as soon as he did, he wished he hadn't. Gage had reached them, and judging by the cracks spreading across the shield's surface, they wouldn't be safe much longer.

"Anjean why didn't you knock him out while you were close?!" Tetra demanded, irritation plain in her tone.

"I couldn't," Anjean returned regretfully. "Somehow he knows what I'm trying to do. He's protecting all his pressure points."

"How do we get the evil spirit out of him, then?" Kid wondered aloud, eyes glued to the man beating the barrier as if it had personally wronged him. There was no way they would be able to take him on themselves.

"If it comes from the dark realm, then maybe light?" Midna suggested from the shadows.

His hand instantly went for his bow and arrows only to find they weren't there. Crap.

"Link, can I borrow your bow and arrows?" Kid asked hastily, glancing over his shoulder to find that Anjean was still tending to his counterpart's wound. Nonetheless, Link nodded his consent.

"Here," Midna's voice was all the warning he received before the weapons were placed in his hands by the Twilight Princess's magic. It was a good thing they were, for not a minute later, the glassy blue surface shattered.

Unaccustomed to the larger bow, Kid hastily prepared a light arrow as Gage broke through and hardly took the time to aim at the man before firing.

Despite the close range, the arrow might as well have been moving in slow motion for all the ease with which the possessed man dodged it. Kid scrabbled to nock another arrow, but there was no time. Gage was already upon him.

He expected pain. Instead, he was nearly choked as someone grabbed his collar and wrenched him back. He slammed into the person's chest and tilted his head back to find that it was Link. His counterpart didn't look quite as pale as before. Anjean's healing magic had done its work.

"Anjean, can you-" Link's request was cut off by the Lokomo girl herself.

"I can hold him off," she declared, seizing the offensive and attacking the possessed man with nothing more than her hands and feet. He countered each and every attack. "Light should work. Don't hit anything vital."

Kid gripped the bow tighter as the two Lokomo tightened their dangerous dance.

"Come on," Link said, urging him to follow with a tap to the shoulder. Kid obeyed, feeling guilty for not noticing the girls on the ground sooner.

He sped up his pace, and in seconds he was kneeling by Tetra's side.

"Give me…" Tetra panted, using her elbow as leverage to raise herself into a semi-sitting position, "a green potion."

Kid laid Link's bow on the ground and fumbled through his pouch in search of the desired potion. As soon as he found it, he handed it to Tetra.

"Do you have another?" Link asked as Tetra began to drink. Kid nodded, grabbing a second bottle of green potion out of his bag and tossing it to Link. The Hero of Twilight caught it and offered it to his own princess. She appeared to be even more drained than Tetra. Fortunately, the green potion perked them both back up.

"So the plan is to expel the spirit with a light arrow?" Zelda inquired as she returned the, now empty, bottle to Kid.

He took it. "Yes. But we have to be careful where we hit him. It can't be a place that'll kill him."

"Got it," Tetra said, picking up Link's bow from the ground and holding out her hand for the quiver.

When the Hero of Winds didn't revoke it, she sighed in exasperation. "I'm a better shot than you."

"No, you aren't," Kid disagreed. He'd had way more practice than her with a bow.

"What happened to your bow, Kid?" Link wondered.

Color rushed to his face, and he wished he was lying when he said, "I lost it." He'd lost the Hero's Bow that the gods had bestowed him with. He was more responsible than that. And yet, he'd lost it.

"Take over when Tetra gets tired," Zelda proposed, drawing Kid's attention to the bow of pure light in her grasp. It reminded him of the light spirits with the way the light seemed flow throughout the ivory bow like a liquid, but he had to look away before long, blinking away dots of color. The princess's magic was amazing, and after taking just one look at his best friend's face, he could tell she felt the same. Except, where he was awed by it, she was jealous of it.

As if to show her counterpart up, Tetra nocked a shining arrow of her own and released it towards the two Lokomo. Gage leapt far enough back to dodge it before returning to his battle with Anjean. It was difficult to say for sure from this distance but the purple-haired girl appeared to be tiring. They had to finish this quickly. If Anjean was bested, they would have no chance of winning.

The princess took careful aim before firing her own arrow of light. Once again, the possessed man dodged it.

"Try firing at the same time," Link suggested. "One of you has to hit him."

"I'll aim slightly to the left," Zelda declared for her counterpart's benefit, readying another light arrow.

"I'm aiming dead on," Tetra returned. She pulled back the bowstring of Link's bow with minimal difficulty. "Do we go on three?"

"Yes," Zelda agreed.

"I'll count it for you so no one releases early," Link offered.

"Please, do," Zelda breathed, concentrating on lining up her shot, which couldn't have been easy considering how much her target was moving.

Just watching Gage and Anjean hop and flip around the area at speeds that were no less than superhuman made Kid glad he didn't have to aim through the blinding rays of a light arrow. With his luck, he would accidentally hit Anjean.

Unease twisted in his gut as he realized that Tetra would probably hit Anjean on purpose. Before he could suggest they switch, though, Link had finished counting and the girls released their shining arrows.

The projectiles streaked away from them like falling stars. Theoretically, one of them should have hit, even if they were quite obvious to see. Of course, the possessed man didn't function on theory. He avoided them all so smoothly that for a brief moment it appeared he was dancing through stars. The light arrows winked out as they struck the ground, and Gage was still up and moving, forcing Anjean steadily back with each attack.

"You've got to be joking!" Tetra cried in outrage.

"Perhaps if we both fired from different angles…" Zelda proposed, but Kid was already shaking his head.

"If he could dodge them coming from the same direction, he can dodge them coming from multiple."

"Then how-"

"He won't expect an arrow to change direction," Kid continued, slipping his mirror shield from his back. "I don't think he'll be fast enough to calculate for that."

"Oh, I see," Tetra said.

"I do not," Zelda remarked. "Please, explain."

"Aim for my shield," Kid instructed her. "The light arrows will be reflected off of it."

"We used this trick to defeat Ganondorf," Tetra added with a wink at her counterpart. "It was my idea."

"Clever," Zelda commended her.

Tetra smirked. "I know."

"Let's split up," Kid suggested. "I'll try to move around to his back, so he can't see me."

"Right, let's go," Tetra agreed, taking off with Princess Zelda right behind her.

After sharing a reluctant look with Kid, Link broke away as well, running after the girls to, presumably, act as a timer for their shots.

That just left Kid and his shadow.

"Anjean's losing," Midna observed, drifting behind him in her shadow form as he began to maneuver through the field of fallen trees to get in position. "We have to do this fast."

"I know," Kid returned, glancing nervously at the dueling Lokomo and picking up the pace as much as his surroundings would allow.

Eventually, Kid found a place to stand among the wreckage where Gage couldn't see him and both girls would have a clear shot.

Nonetheless, Midna was skeptical. "Is this really going to work?"

"She's done this before," Kid reminded her.

"What if she hits you?"

"She won't hit me." I hope.

"That bow's too big for her," Midna added unhelpfully. "She didn't just miss last time because Gage is good at dodging."

"She won't hit me," Kid reiterated as if saying it would make it true. He raised his mirror shield, ducking behind it as much as he could to protect himself from any wayward light arrows. Though they were made of light, they were still arrows and therefore capable of injuring anyone, not just evil beings. He'd discovered that when he and Tetra had last utilized this strategy.

Granted, the arrow hadn't hit him dead on, but even grazing his arm, it had done considerable damage. This time was different, though. He wasn't moving and neither was Tetra. There was no way she would hit him. No way.

Two mini suns appeared in his vision, and Kid tensed, bracing for impact. It was a good thing he did, for a second later the girls released their shining projectiles and the possessed man dodged them with as much inhuman expertise and grace as last time.

Unlike last time, however, they had a trick up their sleeves. The light arrows streaked towards Kid and struck his shield, immediately being reflected back at an unsuspecting Gage.

Anjean spotted the fast approaching light arrows before Gage could and dropped to the ground, aiming to swipe the man's legs out from under him. The possessed man jumped to avoid the attack, easily faster than Anjean.

But not faster than the light arrows.

They pierced their target, brilliant rays of gold shooting outward like mini, blazing suns. Gage collapsed at once.

In fact, it all happened so fast that Kid didn't even see where the arrows had hit him. Had it been somewhere vital?

He lowered his shield and lunged forward, intending to run over and check, but he was stopped halfway there by an unexpected sight. The light it seemed, had indeed purged the evil spirit out of Gage's body, for Kid could see the spirit now.

It was pitch black and twisted and resembled something closer to a wisp of smoke, or even a mass of thick vines curled in on themselves like a frightened animal, than the person it had once been. That is, if it ever  _had_  been a person. He certainly couldn't identify any human qualities in the wretched thing that bubbled and shuddered silently into the air, shaking like a leaf caught in a whirlwind.

The evil entity turned and twisted in the air as if it was being tormented by some internal force, the vine-like tendrils it was made up of separating and snapping together again over and over. In essence, it was unraveling at the seams, or at least it appeared that way to Kid as he watched it.

Its disappearance was sudden and unorthodox. For a moment, Kid couldn't even process what had happened. The thing had been sucked into the mouth of some invisible creature. It was like it had disappeared into thin air. But that couldn't be.

"Where'd it go?" Kid breathed, eyes darting across the sky for any sign of the evil entity, his body tensed to run at a moment's notice.

"It's gone," Anjean declared.

"Where?" Link asked, his tone implying he didn't believe her. Whether it was because he was still unsettled by what he'd just witnessed or not, Kid didn't believe her either. He refused to take his eyes off of the cloudy sky. It hadn't cleared yet. If anything, it was darker than earlier.

"It went back to the Dark Realm," Anjean supplied.

"Why would it do that?" Tetra demanded.

"Because it's weak," Anjean said, and Kid dared to remove his gaze from the sky and focus it on the purple-haired girl. She knelt by the immobile Lokomo's side, hands held out over him, glowing with magic. "Spirits have limited energy. Once they expend it, they must draw it from somewhere else. They can take it from people, but good ones won't. Evil ones will, but that one couldn't anymore because it was hurt by the light. Most likely, the host of whatever vessel it tried to inhabit next would tear it out of existence so it chose to retreat back to the Dark Realm."

"Won't it come back once it heals itself?" Link wondered, his tone full of mistrust.

Anjean shook her head, brow furrowed in concentration.

Kid ventured a little closer, hardly daring to speak as he stopped beside Anjean and the unconscious man. "Is he okay?"

The Lokomo girl's hands lingered over Gage's side for a moment before she lifted them. Nothing seemed out of place. Not even a tear was in his clothes. She lay her hands in her lap and let out a whoosh of breath. "Yes."

She glanced up at him and offered him a small, reassuring smile. As quickly as it had come, however, it vanished. Anjean shot to her feet, reaching for him. Heart fluttering in panic, Kid stumbled back, but Anjean was faster and in an instant her tiny hand cupped his cheek.

His eyes widened as a pinch of pain alighted there, and then…cool relief. She retracted her hand fairly quickly, and he raised his own to touch the spot she'd just brushed. There was nothing there. It was smooth, unbroken skin.

She peered deep into his eyes, her own a vibrant violet. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

His back ached. Numbly, Kid shook his head.

"Is anyone else hurt?" Anjean wondered, turning to survey everyone, even glancing down at the shadows in a silent question to Midna. "Even if it's just a scratch, I'd rather heal it."

No one voiced any hurts, and Anjean seemed relieved. Still, he couldn't fathom why she'd healed him. Was it out of pity? Reconciling? Kindness?

"What now?" Tetra asked, interrupting his jumbled thoughts.

"Now," Anjean said, sounding quite exhausted as she peered sadly down at Gage, "we wait."


	24. Traversing the Realms

"I dropped them somewhere around here." Kid gestured to a broad expanse of downed, perilously leaning trees and flattened brush.

To Tetra, it didn't look much different from any other area in the immediate vicinity, so she was impressed that the Wind Waker could pinpoint a general location, especially since he'd been flying through the air at the mercy of a tornado when he'd lost his bow and quiver.

"Let's start looking then," Link said, taking in the large area they had to search with trepidation. Tetra could tell he was doubtful they would find the items. Honestly, she was as well. But Kid had insisted, and neither of them were going to deny him with how low he'd been lately.

The three of them split up, their eyes alternating between searching the ground and scanning the branches of the few trees still hanging on by their roots.

"How important are they?" Midna asked Kid when they all regrouped after ten minutes had passed without any success. No one had asked the Twilight Princess to help, she'd done so of her own volition, but it was obvious by her tone of voice that she didn't want to look much longer.

"Well…I guess the bow isn't  _that_  important," Kid admitted regretfully. "But the quiver is! The Great Fairies upgraded it so it can hold ninety-nine arrows at once."

"When do you even hold that many?" Tetra wondered. Personally, she'd never seen his quiver full.

"When I need to," Kid countered defensively.

Link sighed. "Alright, we'll keep looking."

Tetra was content to stay if only because it meant she didn't have to return to where her counterpart and Anjean were with Gage.

"I found your quiver!" Midna announced five minutes later, causing them all to gravitate towards her voice. The Twili was hovering near a tree that was leaning so heavily that Tetra was surprised it hadn't fallen already. Nestled deep within its branches that had been turned into a labyrinth by trapped twigs and foliage, Tetra could just make out Kid's quiver.

"Can you get it down?" Link asked.

Midna sized up the twisting branches and forest debris in her way. "I think so. Step back just in case the tree falls." Once they all did so, the Twilight Princess lost her solidity and became a shadowy figure. She slipped like water among the nest of forest mess until she reached Kid's quiver.

After some rather strong yanking and pulling that Tetra was sure would topple the tree, Midna freed the quiver from its wooden prison and delivered it into Kid's awaiting hands. He thanked her immediately.

"Is it alright?" Link wondered, stepping closer to Kid to see for himself. Tetra did the same.

"Yeah," Kid replied after a moment, turning it over in his hands. Tetra noticed that one of the arrows inside was snapped, and reached over, plucking it out of the container.

"Your arrows are messed up," she said, taking out more and more defective arrows as she found them and dropping them to the stick and leaf strewn ground. Kid frowned, beginning to pick out the broken projectiles as well.

"We can get you more arrows," Link said, causing Kid to nod absentmindedly in agreement.

"Alright, I found the quiver. The rest of you have to step up your game to find the bow," Midna teased with a mischievous grin.

Tetra embraced the Twili's challenge with open arms, as did Kid and Link. Their searching then took on a new identity and was executed with much more fervor than before, though it may have been less because of the challenge and more because Midna had found half of what they were looking for, and thus, proven that it was possible to find the lost items in the mess that the forest had become.

When the young pirate captain found the bow, she almost didn't realize it. In fact, she probably only recognized it for what it was because she'd tripped over it and taken the time to glare at it menacingly.

"Oi, Kid! I hope you didn't like your bow as much as your quiver," Tetra called, stooping to pick up the broken tool. It looked more like a snapped stick than a bow.

"Why?" Kid wondered. "Did you find it?"

"Yeah, come here," Tetra returned.

Kid hurried over and snatched the broken bow from her hands. He didn't say a word. Nonetheless, she could read him like a book. Her best friend had cherished his bow just as much as his quiver.

Link seemed to notice this as well when he joined them and took in the damage. "Let me see it. Maybe I can fix it."

Glumly, Kid passed over the wreckage, and Link took it with an uncertain expression etched on his face. Link's expression aside, Tetra could plainly see by the state of the bow that he would not be able to fix it. The bowstring was completely snapped off, which wouldn't have been much of a problem if it had been the only part of the bow that had sustained damage. Unfortunately, the pale, polished wood was also snapped in three places and half of the metal pieces were missing.

Slinging an arm around her best friend's shoulders, Tetra shot him a wink. "Don't worry. We'll just take advantage of Anjean and get you a new bow as soon as we come across a town." People here had to have bows to hunt with at the very least. Even if they didn't have a bow suitable for Kid, surely there was someone around that they could coerce to make one for him.

Kid didn't look entirely convinced but offered her a wan smile.

"Sorry, Kid," Link said, sounding as if he really was sorry as he set the broken bow on the ground. Personally, Tetra didn't see why. It was just a bow. It wasn't like it had been a magical, irreplaceable one or anything.

"You're too sentimental," Tetra commented, her arms tucked casually behind her head as they began the trek back to the others.

"I am not," Kid refuted.

"You are," Tetra insisted. "It's just a bow."

"And your necklace is just a necklace," Kid countered in the same blasé tone she'd taken.

"No, it isn't! My necklace is special!" Tetra cried, suddenly defensive herself. Her necklace was precious and not just because her mother had given it to her. It was a fragment of the Triforce of Wisdom for Goddesses' sake! It didn't get much more special than that. "It happens to be an ancient artifact."

"So was my bow," Kid said.

Tetra scoffed. "No, it wasn't."

"Yes, it was."

"Then why'd it break?"

"Because it's _old_ ," Kid stressed with a definitive frown on his face.

Tetra shrugged. "All the more reason for you to get a new one."

Kid didn't say anything to that, and Tetra took his silence as a sign of her victory. Nonetheless, an uncomfortable, twisting feeling settled in her stomach and didn't show any signs of abating as they drew closer to where they had left Zelda, Anjean, and Gage.

Their quest to retrieve Kid's lost belongings had gobbled up enough time for Gage to awaken. Now the two Lokomo and Princess Zelda were all situated on the ground in a disorderly half circle, deep in discussion. The worry lines creasing all of their faces appeared out of place to Tetra considering that they had just won a battle against an evil spirit and everyone was still alive and unhurt.

"What's the problem now?" Midna wondered, catching onto their companions' unjustified dark moods just as Tetra had.

Zelda opened her mouth to answer but Gage jumped to his feet before she could and bowed deeply to the four of them. Tetra stiffened at the gesture, briefly glancing down at her legs to confirm that a flowing pink skirt did not cover them.

"You have my utmost gratitude for expelling that evil spirit from me," Gage thanked them. "I am terribly sorry for dragging you kind people into this."

"Don't worry about it," Link told him, a small nuance in his voice telling Tetra that he was just as uncomfortable with the formal gratitude as she was. "It's what we do."

"Yes, I can see that," Gage returned warmly, finally straightening and allowing them to see his lively green eyes. They weren't glowing. Not like Anjean's or Carben's when they were soul-seeing but they were bright. Much brighter than seemed normal. Immediately, Tetra got the impression that this man was a very bubbly person. She wasn't sure she was ready to deal with bubbly and kept a careful frown pasted on her own face.

Gage must have caught on to her negative vibes for his smile fell a second later, and his tone took a graver turn. "Unfortunately, the spirit that possessed me caused far more people trouble than all of you. The Forest Sanctuary was completely destroyed along with the surrounding villages."

The news nearly took her breath away but she didn't know why. Shouldn't she have expected something like this?

"Is everyone alright?" Kid asked timidly.

Gage gave a slight shake of his head. "I do not know. The evil spirit did not linger past initial destruction of the villages."

"That's why we need to go there and help!" Anjean exclaimed, jumping to her feet with worry in her eyes.

"We are," Link assured her with a determined nod. He didn't need to consult the rest of them. It went without saying that they'd help. As Link had said before, it was what they did. "How far is the nearest village?"

"An hour by horse. Walking….double at least," Gage reported grimly.

Link swore. "We should've kept the horses."

"Maybe we can find them again?" Kid suggested, though he didn't sound like he believed that they could.

"Let's just walk," Tetra said, crossing her arms over her chest as a wayward gust of wind blew past. It was cold anyway, and she didn't want to sit atop a horse only to grow colder. "Lead the way."

Gage was more than happy to do so. Unfortunately, he was still weak from being possessed and had to lean heavily on Anjean at first. Thankfully, as they continued Gage became more and more capable of walking without a crutch and their pace increased.

If she had the stamina, Tetra would have run all the way there. People were dying right this very moment all because of them. Because they'd lost against Ghirahim. And she had no power to stop it.

What were the other possessed Lokomo doing right now? Destroying more villages? More lives? More people? Is this how the princess of Hyrule felt so long ago when her kingdom was overrun with Ganon's monsters and all she could do was run to the mountains?

More importantly, how was she supposed to fix this when it was all over? Could she lead these people to recovery after their way of life had been disrupted in such a violent manner? Even with Anjean's blessing, would these people follow her knowing that, though she helped save them, she was the reason they needed saving in the first place?

Tetra looked to Gage, noting his garb that was so like the other two Lokomo she'd met thus far. Billowing tan sleeves with embroidered berry-colored vines covered his arms and a loose jade green tunic hung off his slight frame. Tan pants and short brown boots added to his forest-y look, and a circular charm, much like the one Anjean wore in her hair, hung around his neck. He even sported an odd hair color, making his already bushy hair-do look like an actual bush atop his head.

Sure, he was grateful for what they'd done for him and what they were doing, but would the other people of this land feel the same way? Would Gage even feel the same way when he knew that they had brought this evil to their peaceful land? She opened her mouth to ask, the Forest Guardian Lokomo's name on the tip of her tongue, before she decided against it. Who said they had to admit to being the cause anyway?

* * *

When Gage said the villages had been destroyed, he hadn't been exaggerating. It was hard to imagine all the wood and downed trees ever being houses. Shards of glass twinkled in the sunshine filtering down from above, adding to the treachery of the devastated village.

They had barely taken a step in before Link stopped and turned to her and Kid. "You two stay here."

"What?!" Tetra cried in outrage. "Why should we?"

"Because I said so."

"That's not an answer," Tetra growled, brushing past him only to be yanked back. Hard.

"Ow!" Tetra said loudly to express her discomfort. Link's grip didn't ebb.

"I mean it. Stay here."

She wrenched herself out of Link's grip with difficulty. "Why? What's the big deal if we go too?"

"Just…" Link's eyes flicked to Kid, then back to her defiant face, and he heaved a sigh. "We don't know what we're going to find."

"We didn't know what we were going to find in that other village either and-"

Link cut her off, his voice low but somehow still managing to sound as if he was shouting. "That other village was different. We didn't know what happened there but we know what happened here so…" Link trailed off, seeming to grapple with his words before ending with, "we know what we can expect."

Tetra glared up into his fierce sapphire eyes with her own, but not because she was dismissing his words. It was because she understood them and his concern. They knew firsthand what the evil spirit possessing Gage had done here because he'd told them. A tornado had torn through this place so many of the people that lived in this village were bound to be injured. And dead.

Link didn't want them going because he didn't want them seeing that. She didn't want to see that. And yet, she didn't want Link winning this argument.

"I'll remain here as well," Zelda spoke up as if that would make any difference. Tetra redirected her glare to her counterpart to show that it didn't.

However, it apparently made a difference to Link, for he took a step back, and, with one last long look at the three of them, he turned on his heel, running after the two Lokomo who had gone ahead.

As if she believed Tetra was going to take off after the Hero of Twilight, Princess Zelda put a hand on her shoulder. Tetra shrugged her off with a huff, turning her back on the ruined village and stomping back the way they'd come.

"Wait, Tetra," Zelda called after her, but Tetra didn't pay her any attention. She simply continued on her mission to nowhere and eventually settled down against a tree that hadn't been entirely uprooted, just partially, so that it formed a somewhat uncomfortable seat, but a seat nonetheless.

Tetra sat there with her arms crossed, stewing in her own poisonous thoughts, so she didn't notice her counterpart approach. Only when a swath of black fabric was draped around her did she snap out of her own mind long enough to take note of the princess.

"If you were cold, why didn't you speak up?" Princess Zelda asked.

Tetra drew the princess's much too large, but delightfully warm, cloak around herself. "Because it's none of your business."

"It will be if you fall ill."

"I won't." Tetra scowled at the ground, loathing her counterpart for implying that she was a child that needed to be cared for. Of course, Zelda had implied it plenty of times before, but this time was different. This time, Tetra was starting to believe her.

If she were really an adult as she so often claimed to be, then she wouldn't be sitting here right now. She'd be in that ruined village doing something productive. Something helpful. But she had allowed Link to ban her from entering the remains of the village because she didn't want to enter it. She was too scared to enter it. Which was ridiculous. She'd seen death before.

A rustle in the mass of shrubbery off to her right caused her to flinch and reach for her dagger. She felt Kid and Zelda tense beside her too, feeling for their own weapons. The three of them waited, still as stone and hardly daring to breathe as they stared at the shuddering greenery.

Just when Tetra was losing patience, a blur of white and green burst into the open and came to a brief stop in front of them. Tetra could scarcely take note of the creature's beady eyes, four little legs, long ears, and fluffy white ball of a tail before it darted farther into the downed forest and out of sight.

"What was that?" Tetra demanded, craning her neck to try to catch sight of the odd thing. She'd been expecting a monster, but it hadn't looked like any vicious monster she knew of.

"It was a rabbit," Zelda supplied with a relieved looked on her face. Her tense posture had melted away, it seemed, at the sight of the so-called "rabbit". "You don't have rabbits on the Great Sea, I presume?"

Tetra shook her head along with Kid, a scowl on her face. This was the second time she'd been surprised by an unfamiliar animal.

"Are they dangerous at all?" Kid wondered, curiosity evident in his voice.

"No," Zelda replied. "They are often hunted for food and occasionally kept as pets as well."

"So…like wild pigs," Tetra said, though she kept a firm grip on her dagger.

"I suppose so," Zelda conceded.

"And are they normally so skittish?" Tetra asked, causing Kid to become tense again. She rolled her eyes. Of course he wouldn't have thought that the animal could have been running from something.

"Yes," the princess answered, though her gaze traveled back to the mangled bush the rabbit had raced out of as if she wasn't entirely convinced herself.

They waited for a minute or so, watching the shrubbery for any signs of danger.

"Maybe a Skulltula scared it farther down?" Kid proposed when nothing presented itself.

"Perhaps," Zelda agreed, though there were scarcely any trees left standing to provide cover for the oversized arachnids.

The three of them remained vigilant until Link and the Lokomo returned from their rescue mission.

Judging by the grim looks on their faces, it hadn't gone well.

"Well?" Tetra demanded when no one said anything.

"Nothing," Link said.

"Nothing?" Tetra echoed, skeptical. They couldn't have been gone that long only to find nothing. Yet, she didn't see anyone new with them either…

"Nothing" he confirmed.

"We didn't find anyone alive but we didn't find enough…" Anjean trailed off, leaving a pregnant pause before continuing. "The point is, the people that survived had to have left."

"Where could they have gone?" Zelda inquired.

This time, Gage answered. "The Forest Sanctuary is the most likely place."

"So we're heading to the sanctuary now," Tetra clarified.

"Yes," Anjean said. "It's where everyone would have gone, and there are villages between here and the sanctuary we can check too."

"Fine, let's go," Tetra declared, rising and shedding her counterpart's cloak.

Just like that, they were off once more, trekking through the thoroughly windblown forest. Every now and then, Anjean blew into her flute, supposedly to keep Skulltulas away. Other than that, there was no conversation as they traveled.

The next village they arrived at was no better off than the last and a quick sweep executed by Link and the Lokomo determined that it, too, was abandoned. At least, they all assumed the villages were abandoned because the alternative was too gruesome.

It took almost three more hours of trudging through the forest before Link reported hearing voices ahead. As Gage and Anjean led them farther, Tetra began to pick up on the voices too, though she couldn't quite make out what they were saying. One thing was for certain. The voices belonged to people. Living people.

The promise of civilization spurred their already tired feet on and soon enough they found themselves at the edge of what used to be a village. Like the others, it was destroyed beyond recognition. Unlike the others, men, women, and children were milling around and still others laid on the ground wherever people had managed to clear space. Shouting and screaming and crying filled the air as the most capable adults tried to create some order and the young, injured and dying panicked. It was almost worse than the silence of the previous two villages. No one had noticed them yet.

Thanks to Gage and Anjean, that didn't last for long. The two Lokomo rushed into the chaos immediately to help. The noise only grew with their entrance as Gage and Anjean began to heal any injured they could find, which wasn't difficult considering that everyone seemed to be wounded somewhere. Even so, there were only two of them, and they could only work so fast.

Tetra turned to Zelda. "The potions."

"We don't have ma-" her counterpart began to object.

"I know, and I don't care," Tetra cut in. Nearly everyone in the village needed medical attention and two healers couldn't attend to them all at once. The least they could do was distribute the potions as evenly as they could to help the ones the worst off until Anjean or Gage could tend to them.

Kid seemed to agree for he pulled out a blue potion from his bag, and with a bit of hesitance Link did the same.

"We don't need potions if we have Anjean with us," Tetra pointed out, which erased any reluctance Link held and swayed her counterpart to remove a couple bottles of blue potion from her satchel.

The young pirate captain grabbed a blue potion out of the princess's hand and with that the four of them split up, focusing on the areas where the Lokomo weren't.

Every person Tetra laid eyes on was bleeding from somewhere, and it gave her pause. Who should she give it to? Should she give a sip to each person? There wasn't even enough for that. Three villages worth of people were gathered here. She tightened the grip on the bottle, cradling it in two hands. The medicine was precious here and if she decided wrong more people might die before the Lokomo could reach them.

Logic told her to tend to the people that appeared to be the most injured so that's what she attempted to do. However, she quickly found that those the worst off were laying immobile on the ground, unconscious, and pouring anything down their throats could make them choke.

She cast her gaze around for another idea, her eyes landing on the form of a little boy sitting on the ground, bloodied and sobbing. Marching over to the child, Tetra knelt down in front of him and uncorked the bottle. All the while, he didn't seem to take note of her presence. Only when she held the bottle out to him and ordered him to drink did he pause in his wailing.

"It's medicine," Tetra told him.

He stared up at her, teary-eyed and fearful.

She pushed the bottle a little closer to his face, inviting him to drink some, but he twisted away and began to cry again. A frustrated frown fell onto her face. She didn't know how to deal with children, and yet she wanted to help this one. How ridiculous was that?

Tetra remained crouched there for a moment longer before standing and turning to find another person, preferably not a child, to help. It wasn't hard, and in moments she'd stopped a middle-aged woman who had previously been busy tending to the injured despite the fact that she herself was injured. Cuts stood out bright and angry red on her arms.

"This is medicine," Tetra asserted, holding up the bottle for the woman to see. "You can have some of it. It won't heal you but it will dull the pain."

The woman appeared startled but she quickly recovered. "Oh, don't give it to me. Here, I'll show you who needs it."

Grateful that some of the weight of deciding was off of her shoulders, Tetra trailed after the woman to a group of people stretched out on the ground that were not unconscious but clearly heavily wounded. Tetra set to work immediately, distributing the potion among all the people the woman showed her to as fast and as evenly as she could.

All too quickly, she found herself holding an empty bottle and seeking out one of her companions for a full one. However, when she finally found Zelda, the princess was out of blue potion. In fact, when the two of them met up with Kid and Link later, it was discovered that they were all potion-less, and therefore, useless.

Fortunately, the Lokomo seemed to be regaining order with every person they healed and in the matter of an hour the ruined village was much calmer than before. Tetra would attribute it only to the fact that no one was dying anymore, but when Gage and Anjean stood up in front of the crowd of villagers, it became apparent that more than just physical wellness was maintaining the peace.

"We have all lost much as of late," Gage announced as if the rubble they were all standing amongst wasn't evidence enough. "Our peaceful lands have been thrown into turmoil by an evil that has infiltrated The Realms and corrupted one of our own."

Fearful whispers rustled through the crowd like wind through leaves and Gage swiftly raised a hand to silence them. "Even so, the good outnumber the ill, and we will prevail. Rest assured that you are under both mine and Anjean's care now and will come to no more harm so long as you follow our instructions.

"That said, we cannot remain here. It is not safe. We will relocate to Poplar Village tomorrow morning. That is all." Gage stepped aside, then, and the villagers' mutters increased, no longer restrained by respect.

"Why tomorrow morning?" Tetra wanted to know. "Why not now?"

"I must retrieve my cello from the Forest Sanctuary," Gage replied, an apologetic look on his face. "Anjean and I can't cast a strong enough protection spell without performing a sacred duet."

"Didn't you say the Forest Sanctuary was destroyed?" Link recalled.

"Yes," the bushy-haired man confirmed, "but my instrument should still be there."

"Would it be possible to use a different sacred instrument for the duet?" Zelda wondered. Tetra knew she was thinking of the Goddess Harp.

"Unfortunately, the instrument is vital to the duet's song, so substituting another will not suffice."

"It will be okay," Anjean assured them, though she sounded desperate as she said it. "Gage and I will go get his instrument and come back before you even know we're gone."

Gage, however, had other plans. "Anjean, I'd like you to stay here."

"Why?"

"Because one of us needs to stay for the sake of the people," Gage explained, his tone gentle. "Besides, you need to rest. This is the most healing you've ever done."

"I'm fine," Anjean insisted, though as Tetra examined the Lokomo girl's face, she had to admit that Anjean's face did look drawn and drained of its usual vibrancy. "It's too dangerous for you to go alone, anyway."

"I'm sure one of our friends will be willing to escort me," Gage returned, looking meaningfully at Tetra, Link, Zelda, and Kid.

The four of them exchanged uncertain glances. None of them knew this place well, and if Vivian did show up again, it didn't seem like they would be much of a match for her.

"Link, Kid, why don't you two go with Gage, and Tetra and I will stay here?" the princess proposed finally.

With some reluctance, the two boys agreed. Gage then offered Anjean a small, endearing smile, one that a big brother would give to his little sister. "I'll be back soon." Without leaving ample time for the purple-haired girl to protest, the Guardian of the Forest Realm departed with Link and Kid at his heels.

Tetra frowned as she watched them go. She didn't want to be stuck here with Anjean and Zelda. No doubt Midna was going with the boys as well since she had constrained herself to the shadows for the better part of the day just in case they happened upon anyone. The Twili had to be itching for some freedom by now, and she certainly couldn't show herself here without freaking everyone out, which meant Tetra was on her own. Perfect.

"We should get some fires going before night falls," Anjean spoke up, turning Tetra's attention to the sky. They still had a good few hours left of light by her estimate. Still, she didn't object to the idea. Fire was warm, and she was cold.

In a matter of minutes, she, Zelda, and Anjean were joined by a few of the villagers that were more mentally recovered than the others, and the group of them set to work gathering firewood. If there was one good thing about the destruction around them, it was that it had made firewood as plentiful as grains of sand on a beach.

In no time at all, they had managed to both clear some of the debris and set up blazing bonfires in multiple locations around the ruins.

Tetra would have been content to just stand as close to one of the fires as she could get without burning herself, but her stomach reminded her of another problem. "How much food do we have, Zelda?"

"Not enough to feed everyone, if that's what you're thinking," her counterpart returned.

Curse her. That's exactly what Tetra had been thinking. "Can't we split it up somehow?"

In reply, the princess opened her satchel and the two of them surveyed their meager food supply, quietly planning how they could divide the bread, water, and dried fruit into as many morsels as possible without reducing them to drops or crumbs. Much to Tetra's annoyance, her counterpart was right. There was no way they would be able to divide it all amongst everyone here. They needed more food for that.

Tetra only had one more idea. "Anjean, is there any food to find in this forest?"

The Lokomo girl seemed to be dozing off but jumped at her name. "Well…" she trailed off, her gaze going unfocused as if she was listening intently to something. Suddenly, her eyes brightened, and she turned to Tetra with joy in her eyes. "There is! There's an apple orchard nearby."

"Where?" Tetra asked, getting to her feet and brushing dirt off her knees.

"I'll show you," Anjean offered, getting to her feet as well.

Tetra scowled at that. "Just point me in the right direction. I can find it."

"You shouldn't go alone," the princess berated her.

"Then come with me," Tetra invited her, though she didn't much enjoy Zelda's company either.

"Why don't we all go?" Anjean suggested. "We can carry more back that way."

Unfortunately, Tetra couldn't think of an excuse to shoot down Anjean's proposal, so she soon found herself trailing after Anjean with Princess Zelda by her side. The surrounding trees didn't fare any better than the village and as they followed Anjean, weaving amongst the wreckage, Tetra mused that it would be a wonder if they were able to find any food in the orchard.

"Here it is," Anjean announced ten minutes later. The orchard wasn't any more impressive than the rest of the flattened forest.

"Are there even apples left?" Tetra wondered, stepping over a skinny log.

"I don't know," Anjean returned with a shrug. "That's why we have to look."

"If we take into account the direction the trees were blown, the fruit must have been blown the same way," Zelda reasoned, causing them all to look beyond the downed trees to where their leafy arms were pointing.

Tetra was the first to find an apple. It was bruised and a mixture of scarlet and green, but it was probably still edible seeing as it wasn't smashed. Shortly after her discovery, Anjean reported finding another and Zelda yet another. They came across a treasure trove of the fruit, then, and each girl began collecting as many as she could carry.

Once their arms were full, they hurried back to the village to distribute the fruit to those they could before returning to the orchard for more apples.

On their third trip back to the orchard, they found trouble. Granted, they probably wouldn't have run into it if Tetra hadn't pushed to go farther into the forest. In her defense, the supply of available apples had been dwindling so it wasn't unreasonable for her to search farther for more. At least, that's what she told herself as she dodged a snapping Deku Baba and drew her dagger.

The plant monster was oddly colored and textured, unlike the Boko Babas she knew from home and the Deku Babas from her counterpart's world. She simply assumed it was a Deku Baba since its appearance was closer to that than a Boko Baba. Still, she'd never known either plant monster to possess a golden hue or sickly teal tongue. She could only assume it was something Ghirahim had created, and if that was the case, Fi probably knew what it was. Unfortunately, Fi wasn't here.

She stared the creature down, willing it to give her an opening. However, no matter how she stared or feinted, the plant monster followed her every move.

"Leave it," Zelda advised, coming up beside her and taking her arm. "There's no point in risking injury when we can go around it."

Tetra shook off her counterpart's touch with a huff but did as she said.

"It doesn't have a soul," Anjean reported, eyeing the Deku Baba as they passed it. "Maybe we should turn back. If they don't have souls I can't see them and we might be ambushed."

"We'll be fine," Tetra said, dismissing Anjean's concern with a roll of her eyes.

Zelda put hand to the sword at her hip. "We're not staying much longer. I agree with Anjean. This isn't safe."

Tetra scoffed at that. _None_  of this was safe. There was no such thing as "safe" in the world.

Suddenly, the soil under her feet shifted, and a hand clamped around her ankle, causing her to drop the apples she was carrying. With a violent jerk of her leg, she reclaimed her appendage from the grotesque monster crawling up from the ground.

"Not these things  _again_!" Tetra exclaimed in exasperation, hopping back to relative safety. She hated dealing with the Cursed Bokoblins before, and she wasn't in any mood to deal with them now.

"We're leaving," Zelda declared, taking a step back to flee.

"We can't," Tetra shot back. "We'd only lead them back to everyone else. We need to kill them." Plus, she'd dropped precious food near them. They had to get that back.

Three more of the bloated monsters had risen while they'd been conversing, and Tetra gripped her dagger tighter. None of them had bombs or knew how to execute an ending blow.

But they had Anjean, and she turned out to be enough.

Despite her apparent fatigue, the Lokomo girl was fast to leap into battle and flaunt her fighting prowess in Tetra's face. Tetra immediately joined the fray, unwilling to be shown up by anyone, least of all Anjean.

Unfortunately for the pirate captain, her limbs were stiff from the cold so the young Lokomo ended up dealing most of the damage to their enemies.

Soon enough, the monsters were nothing more than dust to add to the decimated forest floor, and Tetra was left gripping her trusty dagger, a weight of uselessness settling heavy in her chest.

Silently, almost broodingly on Tetra's part, the three of them gathered the apples they had dropped in the heat of battle and hurried back to the village. They would have to make do with what they had managed to gather because going back into the forest was only asking for trouble.

Fortunately, they had procured just enough to cut and divide the fruit semi-evenly among the rest of the villagers, which saved their own food supply, though that quickly dwindled as Tetra, Zelda, and Anjean dipped into it. It dwindled even further when the guys returned an hour later and was completely wiped out when Link took pity on some little kids that Tetra had definitely made sure to feed before herself not even two hours ago. She couldn't bring herself to be too angry about it, though. Her initial idea _had_  been to share their food supplies.

As true night fell, everyone settled down wherever they managed to clear debris. Sleep was elusive for most, but especially for Tetra and her companions who knew of the monsters lurking somewhere in the shadows of the fallen forest.

Upon their comrades' return, Tetra, Zelda, and Anjean had shared the tale of their monster encounter, and it had been agreed that they would need to set up watches for the night. Midna was to take the first half of the night, while Link took the second. Even so, Tetra found herself lying awake until well into Link's shift.

The morning that greeted them wasn't a cheery one. It was gray and drab and smelled of rain. The rain found them about halfway through their trek to the village that Gage swore was safe, softening the already unstable ground and making it even more treacherous.

Tetra shivered, loathing boiling in her veins. As if her and her companions' job of keeping an eye out for monsters wasn't hard enough, now they had rain to contend with too. Unfortunately, none of them had control over the weather, so they had to grin and bear it, or in Tetra's case, scowl and bear it, as they continued.

The rain, it seemed, hadn't deterred the monsters, and Tetra soon found herself fighting off Bokoblins that should be dead and gold Deku Babas, classified as Quadro Babas by Fi, to protect the stream of homeless people she was escorting to safety.

Every now and then, there would be a break in monster attacks, and then they would start all over again, leaving Tetra, Link, Kid, Zelda, and sometimes even Gage and Anjean, scrambling to prevent the creatures from attacking the villagers, most of which didn't make things any better by screaming and trying to run like sane people would at any sign of mortal danger. Both Link and Kid had to run after terrified children multiple times to round them up and return them to the group.

By the time they finally reached Poplar Village, the rain had stopped and dusk was closing in. Everyone was exhausted from the trek, and for once, Tetra was grateful that she wasn't the one in charge. She was chilled to the bone even though the rain had stopped hours ago, her legs ached from what she'd put them through today, and to top it all off, her sandals had rubbed several painful blisters into her heels. To put it lightly, she was not in a pleasant mood.

That was why it was probably best for everyone when Tetra was directed to a soft bed and promptly fell asleep, the echoes of some unfamiliar tune meeting her ears.

* * *

"It's not much but these should work," Anjean announced the next morning, reentering the hut they'd all shared the night before with bundles of cloth in her arms.

Tetra eyed the pile of clothes warily as the Lokomo girl set them down on a rickety table. They needed appropriate gear for the Snow Realm, but that wasn't what had the pirate girl on edge. Rather, it was the fact that she needed new clothes entirely. And she'd already made herself quite clear before Anjean had left to gather what she could where she stood on that subject. Still, Tetra couldn't help but say it again as she approached the pile with her companions.

"I am _not_ wearing a dress."

A fearful look passed over Anjean's face. "Sorry, there isn't much that can be spared."

"Tetra, now isn't the time to be picky," Link spoke up as he rifled through the pile, quickly finding a coat that looked to be his size.

She shot him a dagger-filled glare. "I'm not being picky. I'm being practical. A dress will restrict my movements and make it harder to fight." Besides, dresses were for dainty little girls with mothers to care for them, not fierce pirate captains like herself.

"You wore a dress during the battle with Ghirahim, and I didn't see it stopping you from shooting a bow," Link returned in a blasé manner.

"We lost that battle, you idiot," Tetra shot back hotly. If she wasn't so confident that Link would dismiss her claim, she would have continued to point out that her wearing as dress as Zelda was different. She'd had no choice, and she still didn't see herself as the same person as that fair-skinned, timid girl so her wearing a dress then didn't count as  _her_  wearing a dress.

"Yeah, but not because you couldn't move around," Link muttered, helping Kid look through the pile to find a coat that would fit him.

"You don't have to wear a dress," Zelda said, drawing the young pirate captain's skeptical eye. Anjean had practically said that, besides coats, dresses were the only articles of clothing in the pile before them. Tetra sincerely doubted the princess would order the young Lokomo to exert her power and obtain more masculine clothing for them. Then again, that wasn't a half bad idea…

Before Tetra could take action, her counterpart turned to address Anjean, "Are we permitted to keep these?"

"The ones that you use, yes," Anjean replied with a nod.

Zelda inclined her head in understanding, stepping closer to the pile of multicolored fabrics and fingering a few. Her icy eyes snapped up to meet Tetra's, and she was surprised when she saw…well, not quite ice there. "I'll use the fabric from these to make you something you like."

Tetra furrowed her brow, unsure. What was Zelda playing at? "What's the catch?"

"There is no catch," Zelda replied, appearing almost sad that Tetra thought there was. "I'm not going to force you to wear a dress if you don't want to."

Alright, something was definitely wrong with her counterpart. Since when did Zelda care about what she wanted?

"I don't think we exactly have time for you to sew her an entire outfit." Link interjected, addressing Zelda.

"I can help her," Midna piped up from where she was lounging on the edge of the wooden table.

"You know how to sew?" Tetra wondered, skeptical. It didn't seem like a thing Midna would know how to do.

"Not by choice, but yeah," Midna returned with a wry grin.

"We can have it finished by tonight if we start soon, and besides," Zelda added, her gaze drifting to Kid, "Kid needs a new bow before we depart."

"Aww, I didn't know that. I would've asked about it too when I was gathering the clothes." Anjean pouted, but she perked up almost instantly. "I'll go ask now but you should come with me for sizing purposes."

Kid's expression said it all. He did  _not_ want to go anywhere with Anjean. And for good reason. Who knew what she might do to him? Thankfully, Link offered to go along too, and the three of them left together a minute later.

With the others gone, Zelda and Midna got down to business, seeming more excited than the situation warranted. First, they had Tetra pick out dresses she liked for their fabric. This in itself was a challenge, since many of the dresses either boasted flowery designs or scratchy cloth. However, with some digging, Midna managed to help her find three different fabrics she liked. After that, Zelda took some measurements and then shooed her outside so that she and Midna could get to work without any distractions.

Tetra sought out Kid, Link, and Anjean, and eventually found them, discovering that they had managed to track someone down to provide a bow for Kid. Unfortunately, the bow needed to be made and wouldn't be ready until tomorrow. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, though, since all of them could use the extra rest.

The remainder of the day consisted of helping the villagers in any way they could and Tetra sporadically being pulled aside by Zelda to try things on for size.

Come the next morning, Tetra was newly clothed and Kid had a shiny new bow to call his own. Zelda and Anjean had also donned warmer dresses, Anjean's of course sporting large, flowy sleeves in which she could conceal her knives. With no other reason to delay, they set off for the Snow Realm.

"Tetra, did you thank Zelda and Midna for that?" Link asked, indicating her new outfit with a nod of his head.

She looked down at herself, taking in the brown boots that hugged her calves, the grey pants, the royal blue long-sleeved shirt, and white vest. It wasn't much different from what she normally wore. In fact, the outfit was so similar that she was able to keep her bandana around her neck and the matching cloth around her waist without either piece looking out of place.

"She doesn't have-" Zelda began but Link cut her off.

"She does! You two spent all day on that for her."

Tetra rolled her eyes, annoyed that Link was right. "Thank you, Zelda and Midna," she intoned.

"You're welcome," Zelda returned.

"You're a princess so you have to look good at all times. We're just helping, princess to princess," Midna said with a grin.

Tetra scowled. "Don't call me a princess."

"But you are," Midna pointed out. "You can't only take the title when it's convenient for you."

"Yes, I can," Tetra argued. She folded her arms behind her head and shot one of her signature winks at Midna. "After all, I'm a princess. I can do whatever I want."

Midna laughed so hard that Tetra swore she'd fall out of the air. Thankfully, she didn't. "Can't argue with that!"

With a smirk, Tetra turned to Kid, sure she would've gotten at least a smile out of him for that, but his expression was decidedly neutral. Her own smirk fell into a determined frown.

Suddenly, Tetra was all too aware of Kid's depressed mood and an iciness slinked up her spine that had nothing to do with their surroundings. In fact, she was warmer than she'd been in days thanks to her new clothes. What chilled her was her own neglect. She'd been so wrapped up in her own personal miseries that she had become indifferent to her best friend's. And his were far worse than hers, when she really took the time to consider it. Tetra's expression hardened into one of resolve, then. She'd have to cheer Kid up somehow.

When they reached the Snow Realm that afternoon, Tetra found her opportunity.

"Hey, Kid, look. I'm Valoo." She cupped her hands around her mouth and breathed out, the cold taking her breath and transforming it into a stream of misty cloud.

She watched Kid closely as she did it, and it was a good thing she did for otherwise she would have missed the small smile that flashed on his face.

"Ah ha!" Tetra pointed accusingly at him. "I saw that!"

Kid instantly turned his face away from her in an attempt to deny it, but Tetra wouldn't let him. She marched over to walk on the other side of him, blowing a stream of fake dragon smoke in his face.

The Hero of Winds swatted it away, trying to hold back a smile and failing. "Tetra."

"Come on, you're not allowed to be pouty. We're in New Hyrule!"

"Not yet," Kid objected.

"It  _will_  be," Tetra insisted and they both knew it was true. Anjean herself had said they could have it when they cleared all the evil out. "Now come on, I bet I can be a better dragon than you."

Kid was smiling now. "No, you can't."

"Only one way to find out." With that, the two of them took turns blowing out air, each trying to create a bigger cloud than the other. This entertained them for a solid fifteen minutes before the cold hit them, and they found themselves shivering despite their gloves and winter coats lined with rabbit fur.

"Tell me the Snow Sanctuary isn't much farther," Tetra said, gritting her teeth against the chill and crossing her arms as tightly as she could to conserve warmth. She couldn't muster any cheer in these horrid conditions.

"It isn't much farther," Anjean replied obediently.

"You better not just be saying that," Tetra glowered. She'd never been so cold in her life.

"I'm not," Anjean pledged. "We're about…a half hour away."

Tetra groaned at that. "That's too far."

"It really isn't."

"It is when it's freaking freezing!" Tetra shot back with a glare, causing Anjean to flinch and shrink away from her.

"Tetra, do you want your cloak?" Zelda asked her.

She'd completely forgotten that her counterpart had also sewn her a cloak like hers. Tetra held out her hand expectantly. "Give it."

Wordlessly, Zelda handed her the cloak, and Tetra mumbled a barely audible "thank you" to ward off any potential nagging from Link before drawing it around herself, noting that it barely kept out the chill. She couldn't wait until they moved on to the Fire Realm.

After what felt like a century, they finally arrived at the Snow Sanctuary.

"Everyone stay close," Link warned. "We don't know where the guardian is."

Anjean's eyes were glowing purple, searching. She didn't say anything so Tetra could only assume she didn't see anything.

With some difficulty due to the extra layers, Tetra drew her dagger. She felt better with it in her hand. Her companions were also on edge, hands straying towards their own weapons. Even Midna was ready, vibrant orange strands of her hair floating up and twisting like a building flame, ready to morph into a fist if need be.

The six of them moved forward cautiously, creeping closer and closer to the sanctuary itself, which was set into the frozen mountainside.

"There are three souls up ahead," Anjean reported. "Steem isn't one of them."

"Are they people?" Link wondered.

"I…" Anjean squinted, "don't think so."

"Animals then?" Princess Zelda guessed.

Anjean gave a small nod as they continued. "Or monsters."

Even with the Lokomo girl's warning, Tetra still jumped when three creatures burst out of the snow around them, growling.

"Wolfos," Link gasped, drawing his sword.

"Weak point?" Tetra wanted to know. She'd never seen a Wolfos before, much less had to fight one.

"Anywhere you can hit them!" Anjean answered her, dodging as one charged her and whipping around to slice it with one of her knives. It yipped in pain.

A different Wolfos leapt towards Tetra, jaws open wide to show off its sharp, pearly white teeth. She just barely managed to leap aside, but not because she hadn't been paying attention. Rather, it was because she'd been paying great attention. Enough attention, in fact, to notice that the Wolfos looked similar to Link's wolf form, though it was white instead of mossy grey. Shaking the thought from her head, she struck. A howl of pain tore through the air as her dagger bit into its hindquarters.

Even so, it wasn't dead, merely wounded. Yanking her dagger out of its flesh, Tetra prepared to strike again, but the Wolfos whirled around before she could, eyes flashing in anger, and dove at her. Tetra gasped, losing her footing on the snowy ground and falling onto her backside. She raised her dagger in front of her face as a shoddy form of defense, tensing for the blow she knew would come.

However, it never came.

A giant orange fist struck the side of the creature's face, successfully redirecting its attack to the empty space next to Tetra.

She silently thanked the Twilight Princess as she scrambled to her feet, taking advantage of the Wolfos's disorientation to strike once more. With some minimal aid from her counterpart, Tetra was able to finish off the wolf monster a minute later.

Everyone else had managed to defeat the Wolfos attacking them as well. There had been an upside to being attacked. The adrenaline and blood rushing through her veins kept Tetra warmer than any snow gear could. Because of it, she was eager to keep moving, and once it was confirmed that everyone had emerged from the battle unscathed, they did.

To Tetra's delight, and everyone else's annoyance, they were attacked by monsters twice more before they reached the entrance to the sanctuary, though Tetra could have done without the ice Chuchus. Cold cascaded off of their gelatinous bodies in waves and only Kid, Link, Midna, and Zelda could dispatch them with long-ranged attacks. Her lone dagger and Anjean's twin knives simply couldn't keep them safe.

Tetra, however, was willing to push it to the back of her mind for the moment, for she felt a new fight coming on, one that she could participate in.

"I'll go first," Anjean informed them as they came to the entrance of the Snow Sanctuary, her violet eyes gleaming.

No one objected and Anjean waltzed through the opening in the mountainside. Tetra and the rest of her companions trailed inside after the Lokomo girl, single file with their weapons ready.

The room they emerged into was large and rectangular, but besides the shape, the first thing Tetra noticed was the mess. Furniture, intricately woven rugs, decorative items, and glass were strewn all around the room. Obviously, there'd been a struggle of some sort, and it didn't take a genius to figure out who the participants had been.

No one said anything as they progressed through the room, gazing warily at every piece of overturned furniture that could hide a person. However, by the time they reached the end of the room, it was apparent that the Guardian Lokomo of the Snow Realm was not here.

Anjean was quick to run into the next room, and Tetra was right on her heels, itching for a fight to warm her up. It was still horrendously cold despite the fact that they were no longer outside.

A rather small, circular room with a dais in the center greeted them.

"He's not here," Anjean breathed in disappointment. Tetra was disappointed too. She wanted a fight.

"Are you sure there's no other place he could be in the sanctuary?" Link asked.

Anjean nodded somberly. "Positive. We'll have to check the temple."

"And how far is that from here?" Tetra wondered.

"Traveling on foot it could take us anywhere from three days to five depending on the weather," Anjean reported, causing a noticeable shift in everyone's mood. She hastened to alleviate it. "But I can get us there faster! There are special gates called Space-Time Gates that us guardian Lokomo can activate and use. I think I can cut down the travel to a day if we use them."

"How close is the nearest gate?" Zelda queried.

Anjean frowned in thought. "It's a few hours out from here at least."

"We should remain here tonight and set out in the morning then," Zelda proposed, her eyes flicked to the skylight in the middle of the room where the last of the day's light was filtering in. "It's almost night and the darkness will only make it colder. Plus, I do not fancy sleeping outside in this weather."

"I second that," Link agreed.

"Shouldn't we hurry?" Kid spoke up. "What if the Snow Realm's guardian is terrorizing people too?"

"He's not," Anjean assured him. "No one except Steem lives in the Snow Realm. Well… there used to be one guy but he left and never returned."

"But what about in the other realms?" Kid insisted, and Tetra knew he wasn't going to drop it. Her best friend loved playing the hero and saving everyone. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't possible, and he knew it. That didn't mean he wasn't going to try or that Tetra wouldn't help him. The people here were going to be hers to rule over and care for. She couldn't have any more of them dying.

"Kid's right," Tetra said. "We can't just take leave while there are people out there that need our help."

"We can't help anyone if we're not in good shape ourselves," Link argued.

"We rested all day yesterday," Tetra shot back. "We're in good shape."

"Taking unnecessary risks is foolhardy," Zelda added. "It will be best to travel during the day."

"We still have some light left," Kid pointed out optimistically.

"Not enough," Zelda returned.

"I'm all for traveling at night," Midna piped up, turning two disapproving gazes and two hopeful gazes her way. "But I also know it's not safe for you light dwellers."

Tetra scowled. So much for Midna's help.

Breathing out a heavy sigh and leaning back against the dais, Tetra switched tactics. "You don't honestly expect me to sit here and do nothing for a whole day  _again_ , do you?"

"Of course not," Princess Zelda returned. "We'll use the time to train." That caught Tetra off guard. They hadn't trained since arriving at The Realms.

Her skepticism must have shown on her face, for Zelda continued. "I'll teach you how to use Din's Fire."

Tetra's eyes widened in surprise. She'd been begging Zelda to teach her to wield fire magic since the beginning of training and suddenly her counterpart was going to suggest it of her own accord? What had gotten into her? "Seriously?"

Zelda smiled. "Yes. If you still want to learn."

"Of course I do!" Tetra exclaimed, straightening.

"Come on, then," her counterpart invited her, strolling towards the exit. "We'll do it outside."

Tetra hesitated, but only for a moment. Sure, she was probably playing right into her counterpart's hands but the opportunity to learn how to control fire was too good to pass up.

The young pirate captain soon found herself standing just outside of the entrance to the Snow Sanctuary, her booted feet sinking into the snow. The crunch of it beneath her soles was odd.

But that wasn't the only thing that was odd. "Why the change of heart?" she asked Zelda as the princess instructed her to prepare her magic. She couldn't help but suspect that something other than Zelda's desire to persuade her to stay here tonight had inspired their training session.

Zelda seemed caught off guard by the question, and Tetra barreled on. "You can't honestly think I'm _ready_  for this spell. All you've been doing anytime I ask is saying I'm not ready."

"Are you trying to blow this for yourself?" Midna wondered, expressing mock horror. She giggled and lowered her voice to a whisper so only Tetra could hear. "Keep questioning her, and she won't teach you the spell."

"I'm just wondering why now of all times is all," Tetra mumbled, kicking at the snow with her boot and watching the flurries fly into the air, only to be whisked away by a passing frigid gust of wind.

"Because it's safe now," Zelda said, answering Tetra's earlier question, and drawing the young pirate captain's gaze. "Safer. There's snow and ice all around us. It's incredibly unlikely you'll accidentally set something ablaze."

Tetra frowned. "That can't be the only reason why."

"You're right." Zelda agreed. "It's not."

Impatiently, Tetra waited for her counterpart to continue. When she did, it wasn't what Tetra had been expecting. "I want you to be happy."

Stunned silence was the only response Tetra could muster.

"Aww, how sweet!" Midna giggled, effectively shattering the moment.

"Why?" Tetra breathed, the word misting into the air.

Zelda didn't answer her. "Let's begin." And so they did. But Tetra couldn't help but be distracted by her counterpart's words. They kept turning over in her mind and no matter how she scrambled them, they always echoed back the same.

_I want you to be happy._


	25. Possessed Lokomo - Steem

Trudging through the snow brought back memories of Snowpeak. Of course, this place wasn’t nearly as mountainous, and there were no Yetis to be spoken of, but the frigid climate and the occasional copse of evergreen trees dusted with white were more than enough to remind Link of the frozen mountain he knew.

Never had he been particularly bothered by traveling through the snow before. Then again, the last time he’d traveled a long distance through such chilly conditions he had been a wolf.

The thought crossed his mind to ask Midna to transform him into the blue-eyed beast, but Link dismissed it quickly. It wouldn’t be fair to everyone else. None of them could change into animals and be warmed by natural fur. Well, maybe Kid could, but Link didn’t want to put his counterpart through the excruciating pain of the change. The young hero was in enough pain already. That had been obvious for the past few days, and despite Link’s best efforts, he couldn’t ease it.

Tetra, however, had managed to coax a genuine smile or two from Kid yesterday with her rare display of childishness, and that gave Link an idea.

Falling a little behind everyone else as discreetly as possible, Link bent down and scooped snow into his hands, swiftly shaping it before straightening. Then he aimed and let it fly.

Zelda spun around, hand instinctively going to her weapon, as soon as the sphere of snow struck her back. Her eyes landed on Link immediately, and he grinned.

The princess stared at him for a beat before asking, “Was that an accident?”

“Nope.”

In a flash, Zelda grabbed a handful of snow from the ground, crushed it into a rough ball, and launched it at the Hero of Twilight.

 “Snowball fiiiight!” Anjean screeched ecstatically.

“What-” Tetra never got to finish her thought, for Anjean pegged a snowball at her and hit her in the arm. Fury alighted in the pirate girl’s eyes, and she took to chasing a laughing Anjean around, screaming that she’d pay for that while reaching for her dagger.

“No live steel, Tetra!” Link called to her. He didn’t get to see if she followed his instructions or not, for a concentrated ball of white flurries exploded in the side of his face just then. Swiping it away with an arm, he turned to find Zelda, another snowball ready in her hand.

“It was a mistake going for me first,” Zelda informed him with a smile.

“Hey! I had to start it somehow!” Link laughed, dodging the next snowball she threw at him and scooping up more snow into his hands. Before he could form it into a ball, however, he found himself covered head to toe in white. He blinked dumbly for a second, disoriented.

The Twilight Princess’s familiar giggle drew his gaze skyward where he found Midna floating above him, remnants of snow falling from her giant hair hand.

“That’s not fair!” he objected, jabbing an accusing finger at the Twili—after fighting to free his arm, of course.

“It was a snowball,” Midna defended herself, a smug grin twisting her lips.

“It was a snow boulder!” Link corrected her, struggling to unbury himself from the pile of snow she’d dumped on him. Midna just laughed while Zelda prepared to throw another snowball at him.

“Kid, help me! They have me trapped,” Link shouted to his counterpart who had yet to join in on the fun, which was especially disappointing since he’d engaged the snowball fight for Kid’s benefit in the first place.

“…I don’t know how to make a snowball,” Kid said.

“Come over here. I’ll-” A spray of snow choked off the rest of his words.

He threw a half-serious scowl at Zelda. “Stop aiming for my face! I’m talking here!”

“Bad wolf! No talking!” Midna shot back playfully, chucking a, thankfully, normal sized snowball at him. Link deflected it with a raised arm, then grabbed a handful of snow and threw it right back at her. She squealed as the cold hit her. “You’re an awful servant!”

“You’re an awful princess, abusing your servant,” Link returned with a grin.

“Fine, then I’ll abuse the little you,” Midna retaliated, calling Link’s attention to the fact that Kid had come to him like he’d asked. With a firm tug from his counterpart, Link was free from the pile of glistening snow.

He offered Kid a grateful smile before turning his attention to Midna. “That’s what you think, but the odds are evened now.”

“No, they aren’t,” Midna disagreed with a wicked grin. “He doesn’t know how to make snowballs so Zelda and I will still beat you.”

“I’m going to teach him. Give me a minute,” Link requested. Fortunately, the girls granted him a cease fire for that specific purpose. He turned to Kid who was crouched down, fumbling with a wad of snow in his gloved hands and failing to make it into a ball.

“You’re pressing too hard,” Link observed.

“But it doesn’t stay together if I don’t,” Kid said, frowning.

“Watch and copy what I do,” Link instructed, cupping a reasonable amount of snow in his hands and beginning to compress it so that Kid could see. He watched Kid as he did it, noting that the boy was still struggling. Maybe it was the power bracelets. Link was just about to suggest he take them off when a smile lit up his counterpart’s face.

“I got some to stay!”

Link furrowed his brow, unable to see through Kid’s cupped hands. “Show me.”

“Come closer. I don’t want to break it,” Kid said.

 Link complied, leaning closer to see Kid’s success. But there was nothing but unshaped snow in his hands.

“Wha-” Unpacked snow was smashed into his face, and Link recoiled, shaking the icy particles away like a dog. “You traitor!”

Kid burst into laughter, and Link laughed along with him, delighted to see that his counterpart was having fun.

“So much for even odds,” Midna commented with a giggle. “Looks like it’s three against one.”

“Bring it on,” Link invited. “I can take all of you.” His eyes shot to Kid who was still on the ground, laughing at his own trick. “Starting with you.”

Kid barely had time to widen his eyes before Link scooped him up and threw him over his shoulder. “Ahhh! Put me down!”

“Nah, this is payback,” Link said, turning so Zelda’s snowball hit Kid instead of him. “You’re my shield.”

Kid screamed in faux terror, kicking in an attempt to get Link to lose his grip. “Midna, Zelda, save me!”

“There will be no saving!” Link declared, cackling like a madman and readjusting his grip on the squirming boy in his arms.

“We’ll see about that!” Midna laughed, gathering a bunch of snow in her hair hand.

“Not the snow boulder!” Link yelled, turning tail and running. Even his new shield couldn’t stop that.

Up ahead, he could see Tetra still chasing Anjean, the Lokomo girl turning every now and then to throw one of the snowballs in her possession. “Hey! You two, be on my team!”

“Okay!” Anjean chirped, coming to a stop in front of him. Tetra stopped too and grabbed one of the snowballs out of Anjean’s arms, only to hit the purple-haired girl with it. Her mission accomplished, she looked up at Link, taking in the struggling Hero of Winds with a raised eyebrow.

“Kid, why’s he carrying you?” Tetra asked.

“He took me prisoner!” Kid exclaimed. “Don’t be on his team. Help me!”

“Some hero. Getting yourself captured,” Tetra shook her head in mock disappointment. “Alright, I guess I can save your sorry butt. I don’t want to be on the same team as Anjean anyway.”

Tetra made to grab another snowball from Anjean’s small collection but the Lokomo girl hopped out of reach. She smiled sweetly. “Sorry, dear. We’re not on the same team. It’d be wrong to let you use my ammo.”

“Fine! I don’t need it!” Tetra claimed. She then tackled Link. Despite her pirate upbringing, the young girl wasn’t strong enough to topple him. She was, however, strong enough to push him back a step, and he instinctively reached out a hand to fend her off, giving Kid the opening he needed to escape.

As Kid ran away, Link decided he needed a replacement prisoner and grabbed Tetra before she could run off, picking her up off the ground from behind.

“Letgoletgoletgoletgo!” Tetra screamed, her tone vastly different from the playful one Kid had used earlier. She struggled, clawing at him to be let free, and he released her.

She nearly collapsed but caught herself at the last second. Her breaths heaved in and out in harsh, ragged gasps.

Link reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder and turn her around to see what was wrong, but just as he was about to make contact, Tetra slapped his hand away. She’d half-turned towards him while doing so, giving him a clear view of her face. The glare he’d been expecting wasn’t there. Not at first. First was terror, so pure and unfiltered that it struck unexplainable fear into his own heart.

 “Don’t,” she hissed. If her tone of voice didn’t alert him to the fact that she was ticked off, the raging blue fire burning in her eyes certainly did. Yet, for a second, he could have sworn she was scared.

The question was: why?

He didn’t have an answer, and Tetra wasn’t about to give him one so he did the only logical thing he could think of. He lifted his hands in a placating gesture and apologized. “O-okay. I’m sorry.” Maybe Kid wasn’t the only one he should be concerned about.

With a huff, Tetra stormed off in the direction Kid had took off in to join Midna and Zelda.

“Are we still playing?” Anjean wondered, tilting her head to the side and looking up at him uncertainly.

“Uh, yeah, I think so. Just try not to target Tetra,” he said. Anjean nodded, and the two of them jogged back to find the rest of the group piling up snow.

“What’s this?” Link asked, doing his best to forget Tetra’s little episode for the time being. After all, they were supposed to be having fun.

“A base, since we’ve divided into teams,” Zelda answered him.

“They’re not even teams,” Link pointed out. Two against four was horridly unfair. “One of you has to come to my team.”

“I’ll come,” Kid piped up, stopping what he was doing and bounding over to where Link and Anjean stood.

“Traitor!” Tetra called after him.

“He’s been a traitor from the start. We’ll get him back,” Midna assured her.

“Promise you won’t betray me this time?” Link asked.

Kid gave him a toothy grin. “Promise.”

Once the teams were settled, they all became involved in forming their respective snow forts. The princesses had it much easier since they had Midna on their side and she could move large amounts of snow at once. However, the heroes were resourceful too, and Anjean was incredibly strong, so they weren’t at too much of a disadvantage.

After the bases were finished, the snowball fight commenced. It didn’t take long for Link and his team to fall into a pattern. Since Kid still had difficulty making snowballs, Link took it upon himself to create as many of the projectiles as possible while his teammates focused on hitting the enemy. They were pretty good at it. Unfortunately, that didn’t sit well with the princesses, Tetra in particular.

Abandoning the relative safety of her own team’s fort, Tetra ran over to their base, dodging Kid’s and Anjean’s attacks all the way.

“Get back on your side!” Kid ordered her, throwing another snowball that Tetra didn’t even bother to dodge, so intent she was on her mission.

“No! I’m here to put you in your place!” Tetra declared, closing the distance between them and tugging on the scarf wrapped around Kid’s neck.

“Hey! Snow attacks only!” Link objected, frowning at the pirate girl’s roughness.

“This is a snow attack.” With that, she scooped up a handful of snow and dumped it down the back of Kid’s coat.

“Augh! That’s cold!” Kid cried, arching his back at the icy temperature.

“Good!” Tetra returned, with a satisfied smirk. “You’ve been nailing me with cold for the last five minutes!”

“That’s because you’re an easy target.” If Kid didn’t know the words were a mistake before he uttered them, he knew as soon as Tetra tackled him to the ground, flinging handfuls of snow at him. Kid laughed and returned the favor, managing to get snow into Tetra’s coat too and make her scream.

Link watched them wrestle in the snow, pleased to see they were acting their age. Of course, he couldn’t let them have all the fun, and with Tetra’s earlier freak out in mind, Link picked up a snowball to toss into the mix. Before he could, however, a mass of snow was dropped on him, taking his breath away.

When he attempted to regain it, Link found himself inhaling, not frigid air, but ice crystals, and desperately scrambled to free himself. He broke the surface of the pile of heavy snow, gasping for air. “Midna!” he rasped breathlessly. He winced at the pain in his chest. “That one hurt. Don’t do that.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Midna said from where she floated by her own mini fortress.

“It had to be you!” Link objected, struggling to free his arms and glaring at the Twili. She didn’t know when to quit sometimes.

“It wasn’t her.” Something in Anjean’s voice made Link pause in his struggling to look at the Lokomo girl. “I think…it was that.” She pointed, and Link followed her finger to a…snowman.

“Who built a snowman?” Link asked, glancing around at his companions.

“I didn’t,” Anjean said, sounding frightened.

“I don’t even know what a snowman is,” Tetra added as everyone else shook their heads to express that it wasn’t them.

Link looked back to the leering snowman as if that would give him his answer. To his surprise, it did.

The snowman’s stick arms moved to its head and promptly removed it. The six of them watched in shock and bewilderment as the snowman held its own sinisterly grinning head for a while. Only when it cocked back its arms to throw it, did they come to their senses.

“Help me out!” Link shouted, attempting to dig himself out of what he could only assume used to be a snowman’s head. Kid, Tetra, and Anjean rushed to his aid, desperately throwing aside snow.

They weren’t fast enough.

Thankfully, Zelda was. A shield of blue spared the four of them from the snowman’s latest attack. Shortly after Zelda lifted the barrier, Link was completely free from the snow and drawing his sword.

“Fi, what is that?” Kid asked, drawing out his new bow from his belongings.

“I have no data on this enemy, Master,” Fi reported, not bothering to show herself.

“Not a Ghirahim-made enemy?” Midna guessed.

“It doesn’t have a soul,” Anjean protested, evidently unnerved by that fact.

“So he made a completely new enemy just for us,” Link concluded.

“Apparently so,” Zelda agreed as they watched the snowman form a new head and place it on its body.

“I know how to deal with this,” Tetra declared, stepping forward and holding out her hands as if she was about to stop a rampaging goat.

“Tetra, wa-”

“I can do it,” Tetra insisted, cutting her counterpart off. Fierce concentration was etched on the pirate girl’s face, and for a few seconds nothing happened. Then fire. A bright, swirling ball of red and orange and white flickered into existence before her outstretched hands. A triumphant smirk lifted her lips, and with a battle cry, she launched the large fireball at the snowman.

It would have hit its target, too, if it didn’t veer drastically off course and smash into an evergreen tree sprinkled with snow, instantly setting the poor tree alight.

“ _THAT_ did not go as planned,” Tetra stated, staring in shock at the now blazing tree. Given the dry environment it wouldn’t be long before the rest of the tiny wood caught too.

Zelda sighed. “That’s why I told you to wait.”

“Head’s up!” Midna warned, drawing their attention away from the burning evergreen on their far right.

“I got it,” Kid said, coming to stand beside a still frozen Tetra and readying a fire arrow. The snowman released first, but that simply gave Kid time to aim as the mass of compacted snow hurtled towards them. His fire arrow met the snowball in mid-air, melting the sphere of frozen particles so that by the time it reached their group, it was nothing more than harmless rain.

The snowman itself wasn’t gone yet, so Kid fired another flaming arrow, successfully putting an end to the creature.

“Well, that happened,” Link observed after a moment passed with only the crackling of the burning tree to occupy it.

A tug on his sleeve caused him to glance at the purple-haired girl, who was looking off to their left in trepidation. “I don’t think it’s over.”

“Holy Hylia, that’s a lot of snowmen,” Link breathed as he took in the army of snowmen that had gathered to their left.

“I don’t think I have enough magic for that,” Kid uttered quietly.

“And we definitely don’t have enough magic for them,” Tetra added, pointing to yet more snowmen that had popped up behind their party.

“Maybe we can cut them down with swords,” Link suggested, though he wasn’t entirely confident that it was possible. Still, he would never know until he tried.

Link dashed ahead, vaguely aware of his companions doing the same as he darted and weaved to avoid the snowmen’s odd choice of projectile weapons. It took slashing at the same snowman multiple times before coming to the conclusion that the monsters would just piece themselves together again unless the snow was destroyed in some way. That only left them one option.

“Run!” Link yelled. No one objected, and the six of them found themselves running, or in Midna’s case, hiding in Link’s shadow, from an army of snowmen. It was definitely one of the most bizarre things the Hero of Twilight had ever done, and his companions seemed to agree.

“I can’t believe… we’re running… from sentient snow! How lame…is that?” Tetra carped, her breath puffing into the air in spurts.

“I can’t believe…they’re still following us,” Anjean managed just before Midna warned them of an incoming head, and they were forced to scatter.

Link had to agree with her, though. The snowmen themselves were stationary as far as he could tell. However, more seemed to be popping up in their path as they ran. Either there were a ton more snowmen hidden around the Snow Realm or the same snowmen were pursuing them. Link was willing to bet on the latter.

“They won’t go near the copse of trees Tetra set on fire,” Kid pointed out, glancing towards said burning forestry and earning a glare from Tetra. “Maybe…maybe we could hide out there.”

“That’s not safe for us either,” Link replied, dodging an incoming meteor of snow. Then another. Annnd another. Suffice it to say, it took a considerably longer for them all to regroup so he could finish saying his piece. “We can’t breathe smoke, and those trees could fall at any time. Quicker if they’re getting pummeled by snow.”

“There must… must be some place we can go that they can’t follow,” Zelda said, shooting a meaningful glance at Anjean.

“Um,” the Lokomo girl squeezed her eyes shut in thought, but opened them again almost immediately. “There is a gate near here. It isn’t the right one, though.”

“Who cares?” Tetra exclaimed irritably as they were forced apart again by grinning snow boulders. “Where is it?”

“This way!” Anjean veered to the left and everyone dashed after her, kicking up snow in their haste to escape their relentless pursuers.

A decent amount of ducking and weaving later, and a grey, circular arch with golden runes etched into it came into view. An upside down gold triangle seemed to float at the peak of it, but Link didn’t question it so long as it worked.

“I’ll go through last to make sure… it doesn’t close on anyone,” Anjean gasped out, fumbling with the instrument hanging around her neck. “All you have to do is run through the portal.”

Before anyone could comment on the lack of portal, Anjean had raised the pan flute to her lips and blown into it, producing a loud and somewhat annoying pitch. The gate reacted to it immediately and a swirling gold and bronze portal popped into existence within the arch, growing larger and larger until it occupied the majority of the empty space.

Being bombarded by snow, Link and his companions raced through the portal. It didn’t feel like anything except a passing breeze and even then, Link couldn’t say for certain since he had been running when he’d passed through it. All he could say for sure was that it felt nothing like Twilight portals. But at least with Twilight portals, he knew what to expect on the other side. With this one, he didn’t, and so it was hardly surprising when Link found himself sprawled on the freezing ground along with everyone else.

“I hate ice,” Kid groaned to his left as Anjean hopped through the portal and barely managed to keep her footing. The note she’d been holding cut off abruptly, winking the portal out of existence.

Tetra was quick to bite the girl’s head off. “Why didn’t you warn us there was ice here?”

Link hardly heard Anjean’s defensive reply. Near constant battles had made him wary and without even thinking about it, his gaze swept over the new area. Ice covered every inch of ground for miles and plenty of jagged rocks encased in ice—or chunks of ice?—were scattered everywhere in no particular pattern, though most seemed to be resting nearby an ice pillar. Link counted five columns in all, easily as tall as the trees in Faron Woods and about as thick too. It was when he looked up that his blood ran cold.

He just couldn’t believe their luck. As a hero, Link had found himself to have the best and worst luck of all time. This was one of those moments.

Steem. It had to be. Though Link didn’t get a chance to note more than white hair and coal black eyes before the figure on top of the center pillar threw a yellow boomerang.

“Down!” Link yelled out in warning, encouraging everyone that hadn’t gotten up to stay down and those that had risen to duck.

The boomerang whizzed overhead and a resounding _crack_ erupted from behind _._ When Link looked, he was greeted by the falling shards of the upside-down golden triangle that had floated at the peak of the gate.

Link grit his teeth. He was pretty sure the gates didn’t work without those.

“What the-!?”

“It’s Steem,” Link said cutting off Tetra’s exclamation of surprise. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the man crouched atop the ice pillar. He snatched the boomerang out of the air and regarded them with something not unlike curiosity.

Link quickly took stock of all potential threats, knowing when the possessed man loosed the boomerang again, it would be aimed at them. Besides the boomerang, an ice pick hung from his belt and there was a glint of metal on his feet, but it was hard to tell what it really was from this distance. All in all, nothing _too_ dangerous. On the surface, anyway.

As if sensing Link’s thoughts and being insulted by them, the possessed Lokomo readied his boomerang and let it fly with a flick of his wrist. The throw was sloppy. In fact, the man hadn’t even properly aimed before letting it go. And yet, the boomerang sought them out as if it was a wolf on a scent.

It was all Link and his companions could do to scramble to their feet and evade the incoming projectile which followed no laws of Nayru that Link could see. It targeted him, tailing him for a while even when he zig-zagged and backtracked. Then it skipped its way over to Zelda, who was positioned to his far left and should have never been in the direct path of the boomerang in the first place. Nonetheless, it sought her out, and when she dodged it, the boomerang twirled around her a while longer before deciding to try its luck with Anjean, then with Kid, then with Tetra, before finally seeming to run out of momentum and returning to the hand of its owner.

“Is he possessed or is the boomerang possessed?” Tetra demanded. It was a fair question. Normal boomerangs did not work like that. Heck, Link’s _Gale Boomerang_ didn’t work like that.

“He’s possessed,” Anjean answered with confidence. “Normally, he can move the boomerang around however he wishes once it leaves his hand, but not for very long. I think the evil spirit is amplifying that power, like what happened with Gage and the Whirlwind.”

“This is definitely going to be easier than the last one,” Midna commented, popping up from the shadows. “We can just get straight to shooting him with light arrows.”

They were all inclined to believe the Twilight Princess until Zelda and Kid attempted to fell the possessed man with arrows of light.

Immediately, the yellow boomerang zipped to defend its master, cutting down the arrows midflight before zooming towards the group of six standing on the ice, stunned.

As the boomerang drew closer, Link became reanimated, hastily pulling a still frozen Zelda out of its path. The sudden action spurred the rest of his companions to act, and they all raced for a pillar of ice to their left, the boomerang right behind them.

Link had hoped the pillar would offer them some protection, at least enough for them to regain their bearings and formulate a plan. Alas, though the group had made it behind the pillar, they were not spared the boomerang’s wrath.

The yellow blur barreled through the ice, throwing icy chunks and splinters everywhere. He and Kid didn’t even have time to throw up their shields before the ice rained down on them. For the second time that day, Zelda was fortunately fast enough to raise a sparkling blue barrier above their heads. The shards thudded harmlessly off of it.

“What do we do?” Anjean asked, clearly frazzled.

“Shouldn’t we be asking you that?” Tetra snapped right back, eyes narrowed.

“I don’t-”

Zelda cut the Lokomo girl’s protest off with an answer. “If we freeze him, he can’t use the boomerang, and we’ll have a clear shot.”

“What about freezing the boomerang?” Midna suggested.

“We could try that too,” Zelda agreed. She then turned to Kid. “Which one’s easier for you to hit?”

Kid took a second to think about it before replying. “Steem, I think.”

“Alright, then. We’ll draw his attention to us and while he’s distracted, you hit him with an ice arrow,” Link decided.

Kid gave a determined nod in return, nocking an arrow in preparation.

It was a good thing they had devised a plan by the time they did, for the possessed Steem had grown tired of their standing around and launched his boomerang to animate them. It worked, though not for the reason he must have thought.

Zelda dropped her shield, and the six of them scattered across the ice. As Link ran as best he could on the slick surface without falling, he was delighted to see that the boomerang was heading his way. That meant it wasn’t targeting Kid. Perfect.

He was just getting ready to dodge it when the boomerang whizzed past him of its own accord. Before he could whirl around fully to check on its position, a shock of cold froze him. Literally. His whole body burned with the cold, especially his exposed face and ears. Every intake of breath was icy and jagged, puncturing his lungs. It only took another moment for him to realize that that was because he wasn’t taking any breaths. He couldn’t.

Just as panic began to sink in and black ringed his vision, a lick of warm light flared before him, effectively blinding him, not that he could really see before. It had been warped, and blurry and he longed to close his eyes, so when he actually did, he was surprised.

“-ight?” a concerned voice drifted into his ears, and he opened his eyes, feeling them sting as if he’d opened them underwater. But he wasn’t underwater. He was standing—as far as he could tell since the rest of his body felt numb—before a worried Zelda who was cupping a generous flame in her gloved hands.

It was then that he realized that from his waist down he was covered in ice. Albeit melting ice, but still ice. “W-w-what-” he began, teeth chattering.

“The boomerang hit a Mini Freezard into you,” Midna supplied from his right. “Those frozen rocks aren’t just frozen rocks, apparently.” Since speaking was painful, he just grunted to signal his displeasure. He’d never actually been frozen by one before, though he’d dealt with plenty in the Snowpeak Ruins.

“Hurry up unfreezing him!” Tetra snapped, drawing Link’s gaze to where the pirate captain was holding a magical shield up around them. “Kid, just stick him with a fire arrow and be done with it.”

“I don’t want to burn him!” Kid’s protest came immediately from somewhere out of Link’s line of sight.

“I can heal him if you do,” Anjean interjected.

Link wasn’t sure whether to be surprised or not when Tetra agreed. “You heard the girl. Do it, Kid!”

“No.” Thank Farore his counterpart didn’t want to see him go up in flames.

 “Relax, we’re almost done,” Zelda said, drawing his attention to the fact that he was almost ice free. Not that he could tell by feel alone aside from a relieving of pressure. Iciness still invaded his every pore.

The frost completely released him a second later, and he would have fallen if four pairs of hands hadn’t reached out to steady him.

“Are you okay?”

“Sit down.”

“Stay still.”

Link could barely tell who the directions were coming from, much less listen to any of them of his own volition.

“Link?” Kid’s tiny voice turned his head and he found himself staring into frightened green eyes. He didn’t mean to make his counterpart scared.

“’m fine,” he stammered. “R-really cold.”

“I’m sorry. I’m trying but…” Anjean trailed off. He could just see the violet glow of her magic out of the corner of his eye. Everything felt numb, so he couldn’t tell if her healing was helping or not. Even if it was, they didn’t have time for her to warm him up.

“New plan,” Midna declared. The Hero of Twilight barely caught sight of the shadow crystal before he felt his body shift and transform into a wolf. A wolf with delightfully warm fur.

His mind cleared instantly, and he scrambled to all four feet just as Midna alighted on his back.

“That’s a new trick,” Anjean observed, blinking up at him with awed violet eyes from where she was crouched on the ground, her outstretched hands losing their healing glow. Just as he’d suspected, the Lokomo girl was intrigued rather than terrified by his lupine form, which was just as well. The middle of a battle was just about the worst place for explanations.

“That trick won’t save you from hypothermia,” Zelda said, seeming to be thinking as she spoke. “You’ll be fine so long as you’re a wolf but you’ll be right back where you were as soon as you’re human again.”

“So we finish this quick,” Midna surmised, equally serious.

“Yes,” Zelda agreed, “Let’s-”

Tetra was thrown back as her barrier exploded, reminding them all that the middle of a battlefield was also the worst place for altering plans. Link swiftly nudged Tetra back onto her feet before scattering along with everyone else to avoid the boomerang and Mini Freezards.

It turned out that running on ice wasn’t any easier on four legs than on two. In fact, it was significantly harder. Link couldn’t bring himself to complain too much, though, for, as Zelda had pointed out, he wouldn’t have been able to run at all if it wasn’t for his wolf form.

The evil spirit seemed to be determined to keep them apart, for Link found himself unable to draw close to one of the others before he was forced away again, either by the yellow projectile or a Mini Freezard.

Zelda had a very un-princess-like solution for this. Yelling. “Kid, forget the ice arrows!”

“How are we going to hit him at all, then?” Kid called back from somewhere to Link’s far left.

“Just—“” Zelda’s response cut off and Link frantically searched for her to make sure she was alright. Relief flooded him when he saw she was. Some Mini Freezards were taking up her concentration. “Keep his attention on you,” the princess continued when she was able. “I’ll take him down with light arrows.”

“I could hold him for you!” Midna piped up from his back, free to talk since she didn’t have to do any dodging. It was all up to Link. “He’ll never know I’m coming, I’ll grab him with my Twilit hand and-”

_No!_ Link barked to cut her off. That was way too dangerous. Midna wasn’t at full power, and the Lokomo were unnaturally strong even without evil spirits possessing them. She’d only get hurt if she tried to apprehend Steem.

“What?” Midna demanded, either not getting this or not caring.

Thankfully, Anjean understood. “You won’t be able to hold him long. A second tops.”

“That’s all we need!” Midna insisted as Link slipped and crashed to the ground. He growled, pushing himself back onto his feet as Midna shot a ball of condensed Twili magic at a quickly approaching Mini Freezard, knocking it away from him.

“No, it isn’t,” Anjean argued.

“It could be—” Tetra called, her words broken up due to her efforts to stay untouched. “if—if I fired a light arrow too.” Leave it to Tetra to be on board with the plan that would without a doubt get someone hurt.

 Link barked again, irritated that he couldn’t speak words anyone else could understand. Nonetheless Midna seemed to catch on to his feelings about the plan and dropped it.

“Save your magic, Tetra,” Zelda advised. “You too, Kid. You will both be back up if I fail.”

“Fine!” Tetra huffed.

“Got it!” Kid said.

And with that their new plan was put into action. Link barked and howled to draw Steem’s attention to him so that Zelda had the opportunity to slip away and find a suitable position to shoot from.

As he dodged the yellow projectile, Link kept an eye out for Mini Freezards, not only to spare himself another unpleasant experience but to spare his companions as well. The possessed man was intent on turning them all into ice sculptures if the boomerang’s primary targets had any indication of his plans. Link found himself dodging Mini Freezards and pushing, or being pushed by, one companion or other out of the path of one of the icy buggers more times than he would care to admit.

Frustratingly, the tiny ice monsters zooming around kept them all moving, even Zelda who was trying to become anonymous. If he weren’t a wolf, Link would take his Ball and Chain and smash the annoyances to bits. But he was a wolf, and he didn’t dare transform back into a human.

His attention shifted to his counterpart, then, an idea forming. Maybe he couldn’t dispose of the Mini Freezards, but Kid could. It seemed like ages, but eventually he managed to reach the Hero of Winds. Once there, Link forced his head under his counterpart’s left hand and sent him his idea. _“Smash the Mini Freezards with your Skull Hammer.”_

To his surprise, Kid ignored him. Link tried again, nudging his counterpart’s side harder this time and causing Kid to spare him an odd look. Link returned it as an incoming ice monster forced them apart. Had their connection broken somehow?

Understanding suddenly dawned on the young hero’s face, and when the next opportunity arose, he removed his glove, placing his now bare hand on Link’s head. “What is it?”

Ah, so it was skin-to-skin contact. _“Use your Skull Hammer to smash the Mini Freezards.”_

“That’ll work?” Kid wondered, skeptical.

Link tossed his head, the best version of a shrug he could reach as a wolf. _“Only one way to find out.”_

Supposedly in agreement, Kid whipped out the Skull Hammer from his belongings, bringing it down on the next ice creature that shot their way.

It worked well. Too well, in fact.

Both heroes scrambled back from the cracks quickly spreading from the point of impact, no doubt freezing water gushing up and over the ice.

“Kid, you idiot!” Tetra yelled upon noticing the splintering floor and the hammer still clutched in the young boy’s hands. She was practically on the other side of the battlefield but distanced herself anyway. Link didn’t really blame her. If nothing was done, the cracks would spread.

“It wasn’t my idea!” Kid defended himself.

“Link, you idiot!” Tetra clarified.

He would have retorted if he hadn’t thought the same.

A sudden flare of white light caught his attention, and Link turned just in time to see Kid shoot an ice arrow at the ground. Bumpy ice arose, freezing the water once more. Even though it wasn’t nearly as smooth as it had been, it held and didn’t threaten to plunge any of them into freezing cold water so none of them could complain.

“Do that again!” Anjean exclaimed as she subsequently dodged the boomerang, followed by a Mini Freezard.

“And leave us nothing to stand on?” Tetra scoffed, ducking as the boomerang whipped her way. “Kid, don’t you dare!”

“No!” Anjean gasped, shaking her head furiously at Tetra’s misunderstanding. “Cover the ice in imperfections. The soulless need smooth ice to slide on. If you make it rough and bumpy they can’t move around as freely.”

As if to prove the Lokomo girl’s point, a Mini Freezard shot Link’s way, only to ping off the tiny mound of ice Kid had created.

Seeing this, Kid prepared another ice arrow, aimed, and fired. A bump of jagged ice materialized just past the monster that had been deflected a few seconds before. It slammed into the new obstruction and flew back the way it had come.

Kid didn’t wait for it to reach the other obstacle. He created a new one in its path, and another until it was wedged snugly between two ice mounds. Two ice arrows later saw the Mini Freezard completely trapped.

“Nice!” Midna cheered. It was a smart move, trapping them like that. There was only one problem. It took a long time. Time they did not have.

Link barked a warning to Kid just in time to ensure they both avoided another fast approaching Mini Freezard.

As soon as it passed, the Hero of Winds resumed his mission to limit the ice monsters’ movements. He wasn’t the only one that wanted to limit his enemy’s movements, though.

The possessed man had redoubled his efforts to freeze his enemies, Kid in particular. Every Mini Freezard was knocked his way, and they would have hit their mark if Zelda hadn’t had the foresight to throw up a shield around them. The barrage of Mini Freezards bounced off of the magical blue dome surrounding the three of them and slid on the ice back the way they had come.

Not willing to accept defeat, the evil spirit used Steem’s boomerang to redirect the creatures their way once more, only to obtain the same ineffective result as before. Frustrated, the possessed Lokomo changed tactic, sending the boomerang to smash into the shimmering shield.

The blue barrier shattered immediately but that mattered little. It had served its purpose. Kid was ready with an ice arrow and Midna with her Twili magic. Link simply stood his ground, prepared to knock Kid out of the way if necessary.

But his worry was misplaced.

“Tetra!” Kid’s scream was his first clue. The snuffing out of his ice arrow the gut-wrenching second.

That’s when Link knew the shield that had protected them hadn’t been Zelda’s. It had been Tetra’s. Tetra, who was now frozen like he had been. She wasn’t just freezing. She was suffocating in that ice. He knew because he hadn’t been able to breathe then, either.

His lupine body moved but not fast enough. He was stumbling over his own paws in his haste to reach the frozen girl on the other side of the battlefield even though he didn’t know what he’d do when he reached her. and that thought made him pause. It also nearly got him frozen again, but it did bless him with a better course of action than blind panic.

Narrowly dodging the multiple Mini Freezards Steem slapped into motion with his boomerang, Link shot after Kid, who had taken off before Link had even realized what happened.

“Shoot her with a fire arrow!” Midna called to Kid.

“Can’t!” Kid returned without slowing.

“Why not?” Midna demanded. “If you accidentally hurt her, Anjean can-”

“My arm hurts too much to-” Link caught up to his counterpart, then, his momentum toppling them both.

_“Sorry.”_ Link thought as he shoved his head under Kid’s hand, though by the time the Hero of Winds tore his glove off, the apology had been replaced by Link’s intended message. _“You get to Tetra. Me and Midna will hang back and distract Steem.”_

“Midna, help Link!” Kid called to the Twilight Princess, hastily tugging his glove back on and dodging a Mini Freezard.

“With what?” Midna wondered.

“Distracting,” Kid supplied before running off towards the still frozen Tetra.

Seeing her alone and frozen sent shivers through him, and it took all Link’s self-control to not rush to her side. As much as he wished it were otherwise, if he charged over there he’d only draw unwanted attention to her and with no instant way to unfreeze her, that was no good.

Kid, Zelda, and Anjean were best suited to help her as they’d helped him. The problem was, as Link found out rather quickly upon turning to Steem, that the evil spirit seemed intent on keeping both girls engaged in battle.

Link didn’t intend on letting that stand and neither did Midna. Between Link’s howling and Midna’s flashy magic, they managed to attract the attention of the possessed man, allowing first Zelda, then Anjean to escape and aid Tetra.

Then it was just a matter of keeping Steem’s attention.

For better or worse, this wasn’t too difficult. In no time at all, the possessed Lokomo was entirely focused on freezing the wolf and its rider. Between his clumsy footwork and Midna’s magic, they managed to avoid each attack and fell into a pattern of sorts. It almost became easy to dodge after a while. The boomerang was never the danger. It was always the ice monsters, and so Link gave them his full attention.

That was his mistake.

Pain exploded through one of his back legs, and he crashed to the ground, a Mini Freezard closing in fast. An attempt to scramble to his feet proved futile. He growled low, as if some part of him believed the approaching monster could be scared off. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

“I can’t stop these things. Get out of the way, wolf boy!” Midna shouted at him, rising off his back and firing a ball of condensed Twili magic at the creature that was about to turn Link into an ice sculpture. It slowed but didn’t stop.

Link rolled to the side, feeling every bit a dog, but choosing to ignore it. After all, it had worked. The lack of danger, however, was fleeting.

“Don’t tell me you can’t get up,” Midna exclaimed in a mix of exasperation and concern as she doled out shots of crackling magic to the nearest monsters.

If he could have told the Twilight Princess anything, he wanted to tell her that he could get up. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t true. No matter how much he pushed himself and ignored the pain, his back leg refused to hold him. This was just not his day.

The orbs of light that came into Link’s field of view alerted him to Anjean’s presence before her voice did. “Link! Midna!”

“You stupid girl! What are you doing?” Midna scolded her. Link couldn’t help but agree with Midna’s judgement. Anjean was flat out running across the ice, practically sliding between the Mini Freezards that the evil spirit directed her way with the boomerang.

“I’m helping! Link got hurt, right?” Anjean called back. She had almost reached them and, without meaning to, Link’s hackles raised. For whatever reason, the wolf did not approve of the spirits that swarmed around the girl, and Link wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice. He tapped into his senses…

…And was bombarded with a mountain of sound. No doubt, it came from the spirits floating nearby, which were not monstrous in any sense of the word. They were simply people, young, old, and in-between, males and females.

Only with intense concentration could he pick out individual voices, but even then he couldn’t hold onto any single voice for long. They all jumbled together in a mess of words, none of which made sense out of context. “Do- are we- can’t- some- wait- to- I- ANJEAN!- he- don’t- think- honestly- you- a- ice- summon-”

Link had to shake his animal senses away. Already, he felt a headache building behind his eyes. Did Anjean hear all that too? How could she hear herself think, much less hold a conversation with anyone else? Link himself knew he must have missed a good deal while his curiosity got the better of him, for Midna and Anjean were all but pressed against his sides now. Anjean’s head was bowed in concentration, her hands clasped together.

The Mini Freezards were zipping by too close for comfort, and he shouted for one of them to do something, not that they could understand him. Nonetheless, his point got across and Anjean threw her arms wide. Four pinpricks of purple light appeared around the three of them and judging by Midna’s reaction, she could see them too. Even if she couldn’t, it was fairly hard to miss the suits of grey armor that materialized, protecting them from the ice monsters.

“Spirits, keep them steady,” Anjean prayed. At least, Link assumed the odd positioning of her hands, fingertips and heels of both hands touching, was one of prayer. If it was, he didn’t recognize it. Then again, she could very well be speaking to her spirit companions. Link counted at least twenty. Definitely less than before, though still overwhelming when they were all talking at once.

“What are they?” Midna questioned the Lokomo girl, warily eyeing the backs of the suits of armor.

“Phantoms,” Anjean supplied, kneeling down beside Link. “They’re nearly indestructible.” She turned her attention to Link, then. “Which leg’s hurt? This one?” She gently touched his injured leg, and he gave a nod of confirmation, baring his teeth against the pain. That stupid boomerang probably shattered the bone.

Anjean took a deep breath, hovering her mittened hands just over his leg. “Stay still.”

Link did so, noticing more than half the spirit orbs drifting closer to him and Anjean. He didn’t particularly like that, but if he was being honest, he was curious about just what the spirits did besides talk over each other.

Letting his senses take over again, Link was surprised to not be slapped with the boisterousness from before. Instead, a gentle murmuring took over as the faded, almost see-through, people nestled up next to Anjean, brushing their insubstantial limbs against hers, supposedly lending her their power. They spoke in a language the Hero Chosen by the Gods did not recognize.

Somehow, the words were comforting, healing. The pain in his leg faded bit by bit until it was a memory. As soon as Anjean’s hands lost their healing glow, the spirits drifted away, starting up their yammering once more. Link decided that was a good signal to let go of his senses.

“Does that feel better?” Anjean asked, turning her hopeful gaze towards him. She was panting a little, as if overexerted, and a bone-numbing guilt settled into him, then. Maybe Zelda was right. Maybe she wasn’t as bad as he’d first thought. She was risking herself for them. She wanted them to succeed.

This time when he attempted to stand, he was successful. He looked at Anjean, tail wagging, and hoped his body language conveyed his gratitude. She shot him a small smile, so he could only assume that it did.

“I’ll take over distracting,” Anjean informed them. “Zelda says you have a lantern, and they need it. They moved behind that pillar.” Anjean pointed out a column of ice that Link could just make out looking through the slight gap between two phantoms. “Come back as soon as you can, though. I don’t think I can distract him for very long.”

With that, Anjean closed her eyes and reversed her motions from before, making it appear as if she was gathering invisible magic in her arms and stuffing it back in her core. The phantoms disappeared immediately, and the three of them were exposed to attacks once more.

Link hardly noticed Midna return to his back. He was too occupied with dodging Mini Freezards and running for the pillar, praying to the Golden Goddesses that he could make it to his companions without endangering them.

Of course that was too much to hope for. It seemed they had done too good a job of angering the evil spirit, for it didn’t want to let them go.

“I’ll give them the lantern,” Midna said, the weight on his back lifting. He could only assume she had shifted into the shadows since didn’t see her before he stumbled gracelessly back to Anjean.

Though he knew the Lokomo girl was skilled, he didn’t realize how skilled until he saw her all but dancing between the frost-bitten rock monsters, keeping any that drew too close at bay with one of her knives. No doubt if Link or any of the others had tried such a thing, they would’ve gotten barreled over. But not Anjean. In fact, her method of defense cracked the Mini Freezards. Not enough to shatter them in one hit, but certainly in three.

Link briefly wondered why she hadn’t been doing it more, but when a Mini Freezard brushed past his right side, depositing ice crystals in its wake, he understood. It didn’t guarantee anyone else’s safety.

Thankfully, Anjean noticed him before the situation grew too perilous, and they embraced good, old-fashioned dodging. Soon enough the evil spirit had scared them into taking temporary shelter behind an ice pillar.

Neither of them were surprised when it broke; they simply ran and slid. Mostly slid. But their momentum took them out of range of the falling ice shards so Link didn’t mind too much.

Until the boomerang sought their blood, that is. Then he minded _a lot._

Perhaps remembering how it had taken him down before, the evil spirit aimed the projectile for his legs. Though he managed to evade it, his already unstable footing swiftly deposited him on the ground, leaving him wide open.

Anjean jumped to his rescue, attempting to swipe the boomerang out of the air with a knife. The projectile’s momentum stopped cold, the curved wood spinning static in the air.

There was no time for celebrating though, because it reversed its spin, knocking the knife out of Anjean’s hand and sending it skittering across the ice. Unbalanced by the sudden movement, Anjean landed hard against him, sending him back to the ice he’d just conquered. The boomerang had no such inhibitions and flew at them with a vengeance.

Link struggled to get his feet under him while Anjean lobbed her second knife at the yellow projectile, momentarily stunning it.

“Anjean, catch!” Kid’s voice startled them both. Though Link would argue that the purple crystal rocketing their way startled them more.

Anjean snatched the crystal out of the air and that’s when the boomerang struck. First Anjean, then Link. Except…it didn’t hurt. All it did was send them sliding, not unlike the Mini Freezards.

“What…?” Anjean wondered staring in awe at the object in her mittens as the boomerang assailed them with no results.

_Magic armor._ It was the only explanation that popped into his head. But if it was true, that meant either he or Anjean lost rupees to be protected. He wasn’t aware of the Lokomo girl having any money on her so he bet it was him. Either way, he’d have to check his rupees later.

For now, there were bigger issues. The possessed man seemed to realize he couldn’t harm them so he redirected his attacks to Kid who was running towards them.

Link barked a warning since standing was still proving to be difficult. Kid saw the danger, though, as did Midna. From the shadows, the Twilight Princess sent out orbs of energy to distract the boomerang. It worked just long enough for Kid to practically fall into him and Anjean, breathing hard.

“Steem…the…the boomerang,” Kid gasped out.

“Can Steem only control his boomerang is what he means,” Midna translated.

“Oh,” Anjean blinked, taken aback. “Yes, but wh-“

Kid held up his own yellow boomerang that looked eerily similar to Steem’s. Link caught on instantly, feeling his tail thump the ground behind him.

Anjean understood too. “Wait until the boomerang is returning to him. He can’t manipulate it then.”

They didn’t have to wait long. The boomerang only had so much energy to slam repeatedly against their invincible armor, and soon enough it began to zip back to its master. That’s when Kid released his own projectile.

It hooked the other boomerang, stopping both its and the other’s momentum, and sending both pieces of curved wood plummeting to the icy ground.

“Yes!” Midna cheered as Kid rushed forward to claim both wooden projectiles, Link right behind him. “This works even better than switching them.”

“I don’t know which one’s mine,” Kid announced, sheepishly glancing between the two identical boomerangs in his hands.

“Doesn’t matter right now,” Midna declared, snapping her fingers and causing both boomerangs in Kid’s possession to disappear in a flurry of shadow particles.

“Light arrow! Quick!” Anjean exclaimed from somewhere behind them. “I think we made him madder.”

Upon turning his attention to Steem, Link could confirm that this was the case. Mostly because Steem wasn’t there.

The possessed man was on them far too quickly to be normal. Of course, Link hadn’t been expecting normal, he was a Lokomo after all, but _this_ was a whole new level of impossible.

A blur was the only warning Link had before steel bit into his side. He leapt away from the sting instinctively, gritting his teeth as Steem’s attention turned to Kid.

The Hero of Winds had barely managed to raise his shield in defense before the man took his ice pick to it. Link wanted to jump in to help, but considering how Steem was all but dancing around Kid on the ice, he knew it wouldn’t be wise. He’d only earn another injury.

But as Steem circled around to Kid’s back far faster than anyone could ever turn, even on solid ground, all his self-preservation went out the window. Link leapt forward, fast and furious, with fangs bared. He managed to grab the front of Kid’s coat and pull him forward just as the ice pick came down.

Kid all but fell into him but quickly scrambled to his feet and onto his back. Link winced at the stinging in his side but ignored it in favor of distancing both him and his counterpart from danger.

A shout from Anjean drew their attention to the purple crystal hurtling through the air towards them. He felt Kid shift his weight in preparation to catch the object, and did his part in gauging where the thing would land so he could get them there.

The problem lay with the ice under his paws… and the possessed Lokomo gliding closer. It seemed that the man’s feet didn’t touch the ground, and in the quickly shortening distance between them, Link found this to be true. Thin, metal blades were fastened to the bottoms of Steem’s boots, offering stability and agility on the ice normal footwear couldn’t.

“No!” Kid’s cry alerted him to his counterpart’s failure to catch the object, and he resisted the urge to look back. Whether Kid had fumbled it or Link hadn’t gotten them close enough didn’t matter. What mattered was making sure Steem didn’t land another hit.

Link just barely managed to twist out of the way of the first swing, but he wasn’t so lucky on the second. He yipped as the steel bit into his left leg, hopping back and immediately collapsing. His own weight was suddenly too much to bear, much less Kid’s.

_“Go!”_ His shout came out as a pitiful bark. Kid didn’t budge and Steem was raising his weapon and there was no way Link could dodge it so why didn’t Kid _move_ and—it didn’t hurt. Steem struck them, and Link felt the force behind the blow but no pain.

Swiveling his head around, Link found Midna hovering by Kid, the crystal held between them. “That was way too close, eh wolf boy?”

Link snuffled in agreement and cringed at Steem’s next attack even though the wavering purple barrier surrounding the three of them didn’t allow it to make contact.

“Are you okay?” Kid asked, sliding off of Link’s back but keeping one hand fisted firmly in his fur so the magic armor protected him too.

He gave a nod of confirmation in return. He’d had worse.

“Hey!” Anjean’s yell drew their eyes ten feet away, where the Lokomo girl was waving her arms around, reclaimed knives glinting in the air. “Over here! Bet you can’t hit me! Come on, evil spirit, show me what you’ve got!”

Invigorated by the challenge, or perhaps just insulted, the possessed man abandoned them, speeding over to meet Anjean.

“Light arrows,” Midna said from the shadows.

“Yup,” Kid agreed. Breaking contact with Link, Kid slid the magic armor into his pocket and took his bow off his shoulder, nocking an arrow. He barely waited for light to bathe the arrowhead before releasing it at the enemy. Though his back was turned, the possessed man knew what was coming for him and twisted out of the way, maintaining his momentum as he glided to a stop in front of Anjean and took up matching blows with her.

Not good.

“Try again!” Midna encouraged him. “Can you shoot two at once?”

Kid set his jaw and nocked two arrows, feeding them magic so they shone. As he aimed and drew back, Link could instantly tell something was off. He’d seen Kid fire plenty of arrows before and his hand had never shaken. But this time the arrows trembled. Was two at once too much for him?

Link was inclined to believe it was when Kid released and both arrows didn’t even make it to their target.

“What was that? Bad aim?” Midna carped. “Come on! Anjean’s slipping.” And she was. Though skilled, even Anjean had her limits.

Wincing, Kid drew back another shining arrow. Link noted the trembling this time too. He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but then remembered he was a wolf and closed it.

This light arrow made it closer to its target but still required no dodging on Steem’s part to avoid it.

“Crap.”

“It’s fine, try again,” Midna said, attempting to be supportive, but Link could hear the frustration in her voice.

Kid shook his head, eyes locked on the dueling Lokomo. “I don’t have any more magic.”

“Crap,” Midna echoed.

If Kid was out of magic, what were they supposed to do? Get Zelda? She was still with Tetra and, though he had no idea what Tetra’s condition was besides not a block of ice, he was sure the pirate captain needed the warmth from the princess’s magic right now.

“Master.” Fi’s appearance startled them all. “Given the current situation, it seems that utilizing a Skyward Strike as a means to exorcise the evil spirit from the Lokomo Steem is the best option.”

“Would have been nice to know that was an option before,” Midna commented with an unmistakable aura of scorn.

His counterpart didn’t waste time complaining about Fi’s timing. Shouldering his bow, Kid raised the Master Sword skyward, letting sacred energy fall from the heavens and collect in the blade.

“Move!” Kid shouted to Anjean once the sword was engulfed in light.

The Lokomo girl heeded the warning, but it wasn’t necessary. The evil spirit’s focus had already shifted to Kid and angled Steem’s body on a straight path to the Hero of Winds. As long as Kid hit the possessed man, it wouldn’t be an issue.

Perhaps sensing this, Kid let loose a battle cry, dashing forward and beginning to cut a horizontal slice through the air. Before he could complete the motion, however, his feet slipped out from under him and deposited him none too gently on the icy ground.

Somehow, the involuntary motion he’d made when falling registered as completing the attack, and a wide, diagonal beam of lavender light rocketed out of the sword. Kid’s momentum had carried him closer to Steem. Too close, it turned out, for the possessed man to dodge the attack. It struck him across the chest, and a screech of pain ghosted from his lips as he was flipped onto his back.

A thin, twisted black thing with the suggestion of horns atop its head emerged from the Lokomo’s chest, its agony at being purged by sacred energy evident in its writhing…and screeching. Oh, its screeching. It was high-pitched like a Keese’s cry except it echoed and bounced around Link’s head, threatening to make it burst. Instinct flattened his ears, and aside from a sudden tightness in Anjean’s expression, Link concluded that his companions could not hear it.

Just when it bordered on unbearable, the evil spirit fell silent, its tangled form wisping into the air like smoke.

Then came a laugh, so sudden and unwarranted, it made Link jump. Whipping his head around, his gaze came to rest on the Twilight Princess, who was floating in the air, holding her stomach and giggling uncontrollably.

Before Link could wonder too long about what was so funny, Midna supplied the answer amidst giggles. “Eee hee hee! You—I’ve never—in my whole _life—_ eee hee! Seen someone face plant _that_ hard.”

“It’s not funny,” Kid objected sourly, sitting back on his heels and rubbing his forehead. His whole face was flushed. Whether it was from the cold or embarrassment, Link couldn’t tell. “It hurt.”

At his proclamation, Anjean, who had been busy healing the unconscious Steem, turned concerned eyes to Kid.

The Hero of Winds hastily raised his hands. “But I’m fine.”

This only made Midna laugh all the harder. Link, however, couldn’t find any humor in the situation. He had little doubts that Kid was lying. A little slip like that had most likely happened before if Kid’s earlier proclamation about hating ice was any indication. No, what concerned him was not his counterpart. It was Tetra.

Link shot to his feet, gaze homing in on the ice pillar he recalled Anjean pointing out earlier, and took a step forward. That turned out to be all he could take due to his injuries. He tried to push past it, but as soon as Anjean noticed his condition she blatantly refused to let him move until she’d healed him. Link begrudgingly sat through it, knowing Midna was right when she admonished him for running around and bleeding all over like a “stupid wolf”.

Still, as soon as the pain vanished and Anjean’s magic sank into his fur, Link took off after Kid, hardly conscious of Midna on his back. He had a fallen friend to tend to.


	26. Hospitality

It turned out that an ice-filled dwelling was quite cozy when one illuminated it with blazing fires in all the right places. As an added bonus, the flames reflecting off the ice and dancing across the tiled floor gave the abode a mystical quality it otherwise lacked.

Steem had been nothing but hospitable since he awoke, showering them with gratitude and ushering them back to the Snow Sanctuary. He encouraged them to stay as long as they liked, emphasizing the fact that his home was—probably—the safest place in the Realms, and solidifying this claim by playing a sacred duet with Anjean to encase the sanctuary in a bubble of protection. In truth, Kid felt that the man was just delighted to have other human beings to interact with. It must get lonely being the only person in the Snow Realm.

Even if the Lokomo’s reasoning for having them stay was slightly on the selfish side, Kid was grateful for it. Tetra desperately needed warmth to recover, and there was none to be found outside. The trek back to the sanctuary had been proof enough of that.

They had used the Space-Time Gates to cut travel time, but it hadn’t kept them out of the blistering cold. In fact, Kid could still feel the burn of frost melting off his face as he sat near the largest fire Steem had kindled.

Tetra sat beside him, staring moodily into the fire and swathed in coats and blankets. He knew she didn’t like all the fussing, but it was necessary. She’d been far too cold.

Of course, he wasn’t going to lecture her about what was and what wasn’t necessary. She’d only bite his head off. So he did the next best thing and kept her company, ready to have his ear talked off should she need to vent her frustrations. That was what friends were for, after all.

For once, however, Tetra wasn’t talking. Ever since she had accepted the suggestion to ride on Wolf Link’s back instead of walk, she’d been unnaturally silent, electing only to elicit a noise or two of irritation at everyone else’s hovering. Kid knew not to hover. Tetra despised hovering.

“Your arm looks alright.” Princess Zelda’s proclamation startled him. He’d forgotten that she had insisted on checking on his wound after he’d complained about it hurting. Kid turned towards the princess, watching as she wrapped his arm in a clean bandage. “However, I would be careful if I were you. Try not to overuse it.”

He nodded slowly in understanding. Not overusing it would be a challenge in battle, but he was sure he could manage between knowing his own limits and having Fi around to warn him if he was pushing it too far. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Zelda’s attention shifted to her counterpart. “Tetra.”

Tetra jerked her head up from her arms and shot the princess a glare. “I’m tired.”

“I understand that, but it’s dangerous to sleep when your temperature is so low.”

“It’s not low,” Tetra objected.

“It was,” Zelda returned, moving to touch Tetra’s skin only to be dodged.

“It’s not anymore. You have me buried under a mountain!” Tetra exclaimed, shedding most of the blankets and coats so she had more mobility to avoid her counterpart.

Every swipe Zelda made for her, Tetra nimbly dodged, giving Kid the impression that she was telling the truth. After all, if she’d still been as cold as before, her movements would be slow and stiff. Still, this evidence didn’t appear to satisfy Zelda for she didn’t relent, constantly reaching out to feel Tetra’s temperature.

Finally, Midna put a stop to it.

Appearing suddenly behind Tetra, the Twilight Princess poked her cheek, causing the girl to yell out in surprise and outrage. This only amused Midna.

“Eee hee! Gotcha!”

“Ugh, Midna!” Tetra jerked away from the Twili with an expression of severe irritation on her face.

Midna rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Relax. I just did you a favor. You’re definitely warm enough now, so you can go ahead and sleep and won’t have to be harassed by Zelda anymore.” She shot a toothy grin at Tetra which the unamused, and decidedly ungrateful, pirate captain did not return.

Zelda, however, was grateful. “Thank you, Midna.”

“Don’t mention it.”

The sudden presence of soft fur underneath his fingers drew his attention to Link. _‘Ask Midna when she’s going to turn me back.’_

“Hey, Midna,” Kid called to the still grinning Twili.

“What’s up, short stuff?” Midna asked.

Kid couldn’t help pulling a face. She’d picked up the habit of calling him short from the pirates for sure. “When are you going to change Link back?”

Midna tapped her chin in thought, eyes trained on the wolf at his side. Finally, she said, “When he does something for me.”

She drifted over to hover directly in front of Wolf Link, tilted her chin up and declared simply, “Sit.”

A growl rumbled from Wolf Link’s throat, and Kid instinctively jerked his hand away.

“Come, now,” Midna crooned. “I’ll change you back; just do what I say.”

The proud beast sat.

“Lay down.”

Begrudgingly, Wolf Link obeyed.

“Now…roll over.”

It seemed that was where his counterpart drew the line, for he let out an indignant bark.

Midna giggled. “Suit yourself.” With that, she extracted the shadow crystal, leaving a very human Link shivering, face down, on the floor.

“Link!” Kid put a hand on his counterpart’s shoulder, surprised to find that his coat was freezing, as if he’d just come in from outside. But they’d already been in the sanctuary for nearly an hour.

Link groaned, shakily pushing himself onto his knees.

“Here,” Zelda said, appearing with a handful of Tetra’s discarded blankets in her arms.

“Th-thanks,” Link thanked her as she helped him cover himself with them. Kid helped too, adding the blanket in his lap to the pile. After all, he wasn’t using it anymore.

Though Kid’s coldness had all but fled, his confusion remained. “Why didn’t it translate?”

“Why didn’t what translate?” Zelda asked.

“Him being warm. He was warm as a wolf, so…” Kid knew he had seen Link’s injuries as a wolf be reflected in his true form before. Being cold wasn’t really an injury so much as a condition but still.

“His wolf body isn’t his human body,” Midna said. “They’re connected, sure, but there are differences.”

Kid wasn’t convinced. “When he gets hurt as a wolf, he’s still hurt if he transforms back into a human, so how’s this any different?”

“Wolves have fur to keep them warm; humans don’t. That’s why having him transform earlier worked. But now it’s the opposite. Sure, the wolf him has been out of the cold for a while, but the human him has only really been in a warm room for a minute or so.”

It made an odd sort of sense, he supposed.

Fortunately, Link’s condition wasn’t nearly as bad as Tetra’s, and he was almost completely warmed up by the time Steem and Anjean swept in from the other room, balancing steaming plates on their palms.

“I hope you’re all hungry. Anjean and I prepared quite a bit of food,” Steem announced as he set the two plates in his hands on a nearby table and turned to leave, presumably to grab more.

“Do you two need any assistance bringing it out?” Princess Zelda asked, rising from her seat on the floor.

“Yes, that would be much appreciated,” Steem returned, inviting Zelda to come with them. She did so immediately.

“By Farore, I’m _starving_!” Link exclaimed, hungrily eyeing the food on the table.

“Me too,” Kid agreed, staring longingly at the food as well. His family’s rules of etiquette were the only things keeping him seated.

Link, however, stood.

“What are you doing?” Surely Link couldn’t actually be…

“I’m going to move some of the tables together. It sounds like they prepared a feast and a side table is not going to be big enough to hold it all.” Oh. Of course. Link wasn’t Aryll. There was no way he’d do something so impolite.

“I’ll help,” Kid said, shooting to his feet.

Link threw a glance over his shoulder as he approached a small table. “You don’t have to if your arm hurts.”

“It’s fine. I’ll use my right arm.”

“You’ll move tables with one arm.” Link raised an eyebrow, evidently not believing him.

He held out his right hand, showing off the golden bangle around his wrist. “Power bracelets.”

“Power bracelet,” Link corrected him, effortlessly lifting the furniture.

“Same thing. It makes lifting anything easy. I could lift up a table and throw it one-handed if I wanted.”

“Now, _that_ is something I want to see,” Midna commented. Her fire red hair twisted itself into a large hand. “What do you say, kiddo? Your power bracelet against my magic. Let’s see who can throw a table farther.”

Kid grinned up at her, warming up to the idea. Then again, throwing tables wasn’t exactly polite. Especially if they weren’t _your_ tables.

“No throwing tables,” Link declared as he set down his burden next to the first table.

“You’re no fun,” Midna teased him.

“I am too! I was the one that started the snowball fight earlier, in case you forgot.”

Midna rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes, so fun.”

Kid smiled at their banter as he strolled over to a round table and picked it up with minimal difficulty, moving it to join the others. Small tables were really the only ones available as any big ones seemed to have been smashed to pieces. At first he’d assumed it had been because of the struggle between Steem and Vivian, but Steem had told them that wasn’t true. He had been apprehended by Vivian while ice skating and had come home to the sanctuary in ruins.

Steem's guess was that Vivian had thought him to be at the sanctuary and sent some demons or evil spirits to attack him. When they didn’t immediately see him, they tore the place apart in a fit of rage. Kid just thanked the Goddesses that whatever had been at the sanctuary was no longer here. Otherwise, they would be hard pressed for shelter.

It was a good thing they decided to move the tables together for when the others returned, they came bearing large dishes laden with food. As Steem, Zelda, and Anjean placed the food across several tables, Kid, Link, and Midna finished finagling the furniture into place.

Pushing one last chair nearby, Kid finally allowed himself to peek at the food. One thing was apparent immediately: Steem hadn’t been lying when he’d said that he and Anjean had made “quite a bit”. They had made a _ton._ So much that Kid’s eyes couldn’t take it all in at once. Did Steem expect them to eat all of this? Not that the young hero wasn’t up to the challenge, but it was a lot even for someone with his reputation as a bottomless pit.

The hodgepodge of mismatching, overly decorated tables displayed a grand smorgasbord of steaming dishes. Freshly baked bread rested next to an array of soups. Next to that was what appeared to be some variation of fish, cooked in all manner of ways, and yet other dishes appeared to be a mix of foreign fruits and vegetables, though Kid wasn’t entirely confident in that identification.

Nonetheless, he was too hungry to care what was what. As soon as all the food was laid bare, and he was given the go ahead, he dug in, grabbing whatever was closest first.

The spoon was halfway to his mouth before he froze. A nagging thought at the back of his mind told him that something was missing. A quick glance around their crude dining area clued him in to what it was.

His eyes wandered to the fire he’d abandoned in favor of eating, landing on the dozing form of Tetra immediately.

“We’ll save her some.” Zelda’s voice pulled his attention away from his best friend. The princess smiled. “There’s plenty.”

Unable to formulate an argument, Kid raised the spoon to his mouth again. The soup was warm. It was delicious. It was on par with Grandma’s cooking, and that was a feat in itself. No one cooked better than she did, but he had to admit that Steem did come as a pretty close second. He closed his eyes briefly. It was almost like being home.

One satisfying hot meal later and an interrogation on their journey from Steem in which he let the others do most of the talking, Kid laid stretched out by the largest fire. A very warm and fluffy Link curled up beside him, courtesy of Midna. She had apparently taken it upon herself to use Wolf Link as her personal heater. He supposed it made sense. After all, the shadows were typically cooler than any other place, hence why one always sought out shade on the hottest, most humid days. Here, the temperature of the shadows must have been equivalent to ice water.

The mere thought of ice sent a chill through him, and his gaze drifted to Tetra, unbidden. She hadn’t stirred once since she’d fallen asleep, and he couldn’t help being worried. He knew what being freezing cold was like. What it felt like when icicles took up residence in your lungs and stabbed your every breath. How your skin burned and froze all at once. How you couldn’t move anything because as much as it hurt, you couldn’t _feel_ anything. It was like you didn’t have limbs.

 A wet nose nudged his forehead, and he tensed. _“Are you cold?”_

“No,” he whispered back, though he shifted closer to Wolf Link anyway, his eyes still on Tetra. Zelda had put another blanket on her before falling asleep herself on a mildly beat-up couch that was positioned near the fire, but Kid wasn’t sure if it’d be enough.

_“She’ll be okay. She just needs to rest.”_

Kid hummed in response, burying his left hand in Wolf Link’s fur, and marveling at the thickness of it. He really was soft.

_“By the way, do you know why she freaked out earlier?”_

He thought back, trying to pinpoint the exact moment Link was referencing. He came up empty. “When?”

_“During our snowball fight. I grabbed her like I did before with you, and she flipped out,”_ his counterpart explained.

The description was just enough to jog his memory. Kid remembered her scream well. It wasn’t unlike the one she’d made when the ghost ship had abducted her. At the time, he hadn’t known the reason for it; now, he was sure he did. “She doesn’t like being touched.”

_“Do you know why?”_

He shook his head slightly, Wolf Link’s fur tickling his cheek. Tetra didn’t tell him a lot of things, and he respected that. It was her decision, and if she didn’t want to talk about it, she didn’t have to. He knew he avoided certain topics whenever possible as well. Unlike Tetra, though, he did talk about them if need be. Most of the time. “It’s a pet peeve, I guess.”

_“I think it’s more than a pet peeve,”_ Link disagreed _._ Kid could feel his concern more than he could hear it. _“No one acts so…desperate because of a pet peeve.”_

Kid chewed on that thought before replying, making sure to keep his voice down so he didn’t disturb any of their sleeping companions. “What would you call it then?”

_“I don’t know. Sometimes after my adventure little things would remind me about bad things that happened before, and I’d get kind of panicky. It seemed like that.”_

Kid could relate. It was mostly names, but also places and objects that had the ability to transport him back to those terrible times when he had failed or was hurting or someone was dying or dead, and he could do nothing about it.

If Tetra was suffering through something similar every time someone touched her, he didn’t know what to do to help. He didn’t even know how to help himself when he had little episodes. All he’d do is let it run its course, though lately being able to talk things out with Link had helped somewhat. Tetra wouldn’t open up, though. She was like a treasure chest with a missing key, impossible to open without causing some serious damage.

Link’s voice pulled him out of the mental rut he’d almost become trapped in. _“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you worry about her even more. I just wanted to see if you knew what was bothering her.”_

“It’s okay,” Kid mumbled, feeling useless because he didn’t know. He’d known Tetra for a little over a year now. They were best friends. But…there was still so much about her he _didn’t_ know.

_“Do you want to talk about something else_?” Link offered.

“No, I’m tired. I want to sleep.” This wasn’t true of course. He never wanted to sleep, but he didn’t feel like talking anymore.

Thankfully, Link didn’t push and bid him goodnight. Kid did the same, removing his hand from the soft fur and instantly missing the heat of it when the chilliness of the tiled floor enveloped his fingers. He resisted, though, and closed his eyes instead.

The day’s events, like they always did, flashed through his mind, and he did his best to suppress them and the feelings they brought with them. He and his companions were fine, mostly, so there was no point in dwelling on the battle. Instead, he concentrated on the snowball fight filled with flying snow and laughter.

And an out-of-place scream from Tetra. It soon became the only thing about the game he could recall, and he abruptly decided to shake the memory of the snowball fight out of his head. Still, it tormented him, and he tossed and turned, trying to find his happy place.

He must have found it at some point, for the next thing Kid knew he was waking from a light doze, the remnants of fear in his chest. Fear of what exactly, he didn’t know. That was probably for the best.

Reaching up to rub the sleep from his eyes, Kid immediately noticed the cold. It rushed in, unbidden like an unwelcome guest. That’s when he realized how close he was to Wolf Link. He must have unconsciously snuggled up to his counterpart’s warmth while he was sleeping. Kid would have done so again, seeking shelter from the crushing cold for a few more hours, but the twisted feeling inside his gut stopped him.

Something was amiss.

Slowly, Kid surveyed the area. The fire burned much lower than before, but Zelda still slept soundly on a pale blue couch, Anjean was still curled up in an armchair like a cat, Steem still snored on another sofa pulled near the fire, Midna still dozed on Wolf Link’s back, and Tetra…wasn’t there.

He squinted to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, that the pirate girl hadn’t just buried herself under the many blankets heaped atop her, but the dim lighting made it difficult to know for sure. Carefully, Kid extricated himself entirely from his counterpart’s warmth and stood, tiptoeing over to the pile of fabric.

Upon arriving, he removed a couple layers and quickly found his suspicion to be correct. Tetra was not here.

Kid turned his attention to encompass the rest of the spacious room. He couldn’t make out much, just the tables they’d feasted at before, chairs still positioned around them. Other than that, it was just a hodgepodge of stuff smothered in shadows and dying fire-light.

Frowning, he quietly stole across the room, which was more of a grand hall in his opinion, deciding to explore the other areas of the sanctuary. He searched in every single room –not that there were many– and each nook and cranny. Tetra was nowhere to be found.

Unease bubbled in the pit of his stomach, but he didn’t allow himself to completely panic. Not yet.

Kid swiftly made his way to the sanctuary’s entrance, cringing at his inability to silence each footfall. No one called out or shifted in their sleep, so he could only assume he hadn’t disturbed anyone.

The cold air was harsh on his face, slapping it without remorse and sending a deep chill through his bones. The young hero couldn’t bring himself to care about that, though, for he had found his missing princess.

“Tetra!” He hurried over to her, nearly tripping over the packed snow at his feet in his haste. “What are you doing out here?”

“I was suffocating in there. I needed fresh air,” Tetra explained, shooting him a less-than pleased look. “What are _you_ doing out here?”

“Looking for you. You know it’s the middle of the night, right?”

“I’m aware,” Tetra huffed, crossing her arms over her chest haughtily.

He bit his lip, searching for words. In the end he could only come up with the truth. “I was worried.”

“Well, don’t be. I’m fine.” She twisted away from him then, directing her gaze elsewhere. A signal to end the conversation. Any other time, Kid would accept this. He would walk away and leave her be. But this time, he couldn’t because of what Link had mentioned earlier. And because in all honesty she didn’t _look_ fine. Her cheeks and nose and the tips of her ears glowed red from the low temperature, and the rest of her skin was unnaturally pale. She didn’t even have a coat on for Din’s sake! She had to be freezing. She _was_ freezing. He could see her shivering if he squinted. But most concerning of all was her voice. At first, he’d thought it hoarse from sleep, but the more he observed her, the more he became certain that wasn’t the cause. There was a tightness in her face, in her neck, in her chest, that indicated she was holding back or possibly in pain.

“We should go inside now,” Kid said.

“You can go if you want. I like it out here. It feels good.”

Something was definitely wrong. Sub-zero temperatures were not comfortable for any human. In fact, being a human himself standing in sub-zero temperatures without a coat, Kid could testify with the utmost confidence that it was one of the worst feelings in the world. It did not feel safe. It did not feel right, and by no means did it feel good. “Tetra, let’s go inside.” He tried to put the gentle sternness in his voice that he employed whenever Aryll was being disagreeable.

It didn’t work. “No.”

Gathering his own stubbornness, Kid stepped in front of Tetra, blocking her view of the snow-brushed landscape. “There could be more wolfos out here. It isn’t safe.”

“There aren’t—” A pained expression flashed across her face and she swallowed with obvious difficulty before hastily retorting, “There aren’t any wolfos this close to the sanctuary.” She seemed to hold her breath after her outburst, further fueling Kid’s concern.

“You don’t know that. They could come closer at night. Let’s just-” His reaching hand was slapped away right before it made contact, and Tetra’s eyes met his, bright and roiling blue with anger. But he saw something else there too, a haze that wasn’t quite right.

It was only present for a split second, however, for when Tetra opened her mouth to reply, she doubled over in a coughing fit.

“Please, Tetra,” he pleaded with her once the coughing subsided, and she straightened. “Let’s go inside now.”

She shook her head in refusal.

“Why not?” he demanded, frustrated because he was beyond worried now and he couldn’t seem to make her see sense.

Tetra seemed to struggle with wanting to say something and not wanting to. Finally, she spoke, her voice a rasp. “They’ll make us stop.”

“So? You can’t travel or fight if you’re sick,” Kid returned.

“And leaving more people to die in the meantime is a good idea?” she demanded. “These are our people now, _my_ people. I can’t…can’t just leave them to demons.”

Kid’s stomach twisted in knots. He knew how she felt. He felt the same, but… “I don’t want you to die either.”

“It’s a cold.” She paused for another round of coughing that left her gasping afterwards. “It won’t… won’t kill me. I can get over it while we travel.”

Kid was shaking his head before she’d finished speaking. “You can’t get better like that. You’ll only get worse and you’re making it worse by being out here right now. Let’s go inside and tell the others.” He held out his hand to her, urging her to take it, but she ignored it.

Her expression hardened, and a spark of fear rippled through him, though he couldn’t accurately pinpoint why. “Don’t. Tell. Them.”

“Why? There’s no point in hiding it. They’ll figure it out like they did before with me. They’re not stupid.”

“They’re not our parents or our guardians,” Tetra hissed. “They’re barely older than us! They have no obligation to take care of me, and I don’t want them to anyway. I’m not a baby. Not like you.”

That took him off guard, and for a moment, he was at a loss for words. But a moment was all Tetra needed to dig the knife in further. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you and Link are all buddy-buddy, acting like you’re family and stuff. You’re not, you know!” A cough. “He’s not going to stick around when all this is over. He’s going to leave and forget about you.”

Kid’s instinct was to deny her words, but deep down, he knew he couldn’t. It was true. Link, Zelda, Midna, and Fi were only here because Ghirahim was unfinished business. Once that business was finished, however, they would leave. Link would leave. And he would be all alone with his nightmares and bad memories. Again.

Maybe it was stupid for him to want Link to be his brother, to want to act like he was because it would hurt later when he left. But…he needed the support and if that made him a baby by Tetra’s standards, then fine. However, it made him sane by his standards and that thought was enough to dismiss her harsh words. She probably didn’t mean them anyway. Probably.

“Don’t speak a word about it to any of them, got it?” Tetra ordered him, every bit her bossy pirate captain self despite being ill.

“I won’t as long as you come inside with me,” he said.

Tetra frowned at his blackmail, but relented.

It was a relief to step back inside the warm sanctuary. Already, he could feel the burn of the cold being siphoned off his skin, and he rubbed his freezing hands together in an attempt to speed up the process.

Unfortunately, Tetra elected to stay close to the entrance, muffling a cough in the crook of her arm as she sat down, knees pulled close to her chest. But she was inside so Kid couldn’t complain.

Returning to the place where the rest of his companions slept, Kid settled himself down by Wolf Link, instantly leaning into his warm fur. He allowed himself to enjoy it for a moment before getting down to business and attempting to shake the wolf awake as subtly as he could.

Link must have been more tired than usual, for he didn’t wake. Frowning in frustration, Kid changed tactics, digging his elbow into the wolf’s side. That got him up. And Midna too, by way of being roughly dumped off of Wolf Link at his jolt of wakefulness.

“Urgh, stupid wolf!” Midna mumbled, sounding barely awake. “Don’t… shift in your sleep.”

_“What is it?”_ Link asked him, suddenly on high alert. _“Did you have another nightmare?”_

As discreetly as he could, which wasn’t very discreetly at all, Kid glanced over at Tetra, checking to see if she’d noticed the scuffle. Fortunately for him, she had her face buried in her knees so she couldn’t see them to notice anything. He laid back down and turned his full attention to his counterpart, keeping his voice extra soft. “No. Tetra’s sick.”

“ _Where is she?”_ Link demanded, eyes roving over the spot Tetra used to be.

“By the entrance.”

Wolf Link shifted to see for himself. Once satisfied, he turned back to Kid. _“How sick is she?”_

“She’s coughing a lot and I think her throat hurts. She might have a fever too but I’m not sure. Don’t tell her I told you, though. She’ll be mad. Just act like you noticed on your own.” As much as he wanted to help her, he also didn’t want to get on her bad side.

The wolf sighed heavily under his touch. _“Is this a pirate thing, like she can’t show weakness or something?”_

“I think it’s just a Tetra thing,” Kid replied, thinking of the pirates that were, by no means, always strong.

_“Regardless, did she learn nothing from before we came here?”_ Link asked, his frustration and disappointment palpable in Kid’s chest.

“She said…” Kid stopped himself, wondering if it was really okay to say. Sick or not, everything Tetra had said to him outside had been said in confidence he wouldn’t tell anyone else. The being sick thing was a different story but the rest…he wasn’t certain he had a right to tell.

_“What? What’d she say?”_ Link pressed.

“She said…” Kid released his breath, deciding a half-truth was better than a flat-out lie. “She said she wants to keep moving to help as many people as possible.”

_“And?”_ Link prompted.

“And…” Kid squirmed. “That’s it.”

_“No, it isn’t.”_

“How do you know it isn’t?”

_“Because I can tell. What else did she say?”_

Kid bit his lip, but as the silence stretched on and his counterpart didn’t say anything else, just leveled him with those piercing blue eyes of his, Kid knew he had no choice. “She doesn’t want you caring about her or for her.”

_“Well, I’m not going to apologize for caring. It’s just a human thing to do,”_ said the wolf.

“I know but Tetra doesn’t like it.”

_“Doesn’t matter,”_ Link returned. _“If she’s sick, she’s sick and can’t take care of herself.”_

“She seems to think otherwise,” Kid muttered.

_“Yeah, well she’s going to learn really fast she can’t. I get it if she wants to be independent, but there’s only so much one person can do for themselves.”_

Kid was inclined to agree and nodded to express this, though he didn’t say anything more.

_“Thanks for telling me, anyway,”_ Link said finally. _“We’ll see what we can do about it in the morning when Midna hopefully wants to change me back.”_

A tiny smile stretched Kid’s lips.

_“Try to go back to sleep in the meantime.”_

_“_ Okay.”

To be fair, Kid did try. He closed his eyes and evened out his breathing as much as he could, curling into Wolf Link’s side. But his mind raced with worry for his best friend and he wound up keeping a vigilant eye on her the rest of the night to ensure she didn’t sneak out again.

When the first rays of morning light filtered through the skylight above and his counterpart began to stir, he stretched and rubbed his eyes, feigning waking from the grip of sleep as well.

Soon enough, everyone else began to rise, and Steem stumbled away to prepare breakfast for them all. As Anjean stoked the fires around the room with Zelda’s help, Kid did his best to convince Midna to turn Link back into a human. The Twilight Princess was quite attached to the warmth of her wolf, but she eventually relented, electing to join an uncharacteristically quiet Tetra by the recently rekindled fire instead.

Kid was nervous, uncertain about how his counterpart planned to breach the sensitive topic of Tetra’s sickness without tipping her off that Kid had told. Stealing a glance at Link, Kid became certain that the Hero of Twilight didn’t have a plan in mind. His expression was contemplative as he studied Tetra by the fire.

It turned out that Link’s approach wasn’t subtle in the least. “Are you feeling okay, Tetra?”

She nodded, but gave no other response.

“…Are you sure?” Link prodded after a moment. “You still look kind of pale.”

“Huh, he’s right. You do,” Midna commented, peering at Tetra’s face.

Tetra wasted no time shooting Link a death glare. Rather than flinch away from it as Kid may have done, Link stared right back and pressed on. “It’s just a question. I’m not trying to make you mad. I just want to know if you’re okay.”

“I’m fine,” Tetra snapped, whipping her head back around to face the open flames. Unfortunately for her, the words had cost her, and she was unable to hold back a cough.

“That doesn’t sound fine to me,” Midna remarked, concern creeping into her own tone now.

“Shut—” Another cough cut her off, but she quickly continued, “Shut up. I just had something stuck in my throat.”

Kid wasn’t convinced and neither was Link. “You’re sick.”

“I’m not,” Tetra protested, scowling heartily at him.

“Why else would you be coughing like that?” Link challenged her.

Rather than answer, Tetra chose to change the topic. “When are we leaving for the Fire Realm? I hate it here.”

“We’re not going anywhere when you’re sick,” Link declared.

“I am not sick!” Tetra shouted, her volume nowhere near as loud as normal.

“You are,” Link insisted.

“Am not!” Tetra retorted hotly. She suddenly turned to Kid. “Don’t I seem fine to you?”

Kid knew he was supposed to agree. He’d promised her that he wouldn’t speak a word of her being sick to anyone, and though he had broken that promise, she didn’t know that, which meant that if he wanted to keep it that way, he had to agree with her. Still, he couldn’t quite dismiss the facts of the situation. “…Your voice sounds a little raspy.”

“That’s ‘cause I just woke up,” Tetra objected, frowning deeply at him. “Other than that I’m _fine_ , right?”

The Hero of Winds tilted his head in a way that wasn’t quite up or down or side to side, but a confusing combination of both that really had no meaning but he hoped looked close enough to an affirmative to get Tetra’s piercing gaze off of him. It kind of worked.

“The Spirits say you’re sick,” Anjean spoke up suddenly, alerting them all to the fact that she and Zelda had finished relighting the fires.

Tetra’s glare was redirected to the purple-haired girl rather quickly. “They’re wrong. Go away.”

“I admit that they were wrong before in their guidance to me, but they’re not wrong about this,” Anjean asserted. “You have to-”

“I don’t have to do anything!” Tetra shot back, jumping to her feet. She shoved past Anjean, covering up a cough with her arm as she turned to the rest of them. “Now, when are we leaving?”

Link opened his mouth to reply, but a harsh cough cut him off. Surprisingly, it had not come from Tetra, but Princess Zelda.

“Forgive me,” Zelda apologized, lowering her hand from her mouth. “I fear I am unwell. The weather must have affected me more than I thought yesterday. Would anyone mind terribly if we remained here for another day or two?”

They were all silent, save Tetra. “I would. We still have stuff to do and people to save.”

Zelda muffled another cough. “I understand that. However, I cannot be of much use in battles or rescue missions while ill. Not to mention that traveling will be a miserable affair.”

Tetra seemed to consider this before mumbling something incoherent and settling back down by the fire. Zelda joined her shortly, wrapping her cloak snuggly around herself. Kid couldn’t help but frown at their misfortune. Both Tetra and Zelda were sick. This was going to set them back quite a bit, but at least Zelda’s sickness had convinced Tetra to stay and recover from her own.

“I’ll go let Steem know we’re staying a while longer,” Anjean announced before scurrying away.

Link caught Kid by the arm before he could go to sit by Tetra. “Don’t get too close. I don’t want you getting sick too.”

Kid frowned but relented. “Okay.”

Satisfied, his counterpart released him and busied himself with dividing the blankets Tetra had been using the night before between the two Hylian Princesses. To no one’s surprise, Zelda was more grateful and accepting than Tetra.

Breakfast came and went, Zelda eating little, and Tetra eating even less. Both girls laid down rather promptly afterwards, and Kid couldn’t help but note how quickly Tetra succumbed to the grip of sleep.

“Anjean, can you do anything for them with your healing?” Link questioned the Lokomo girl as they cleaned up the dishes from their meal.

Anjean shook her head with regret. “Sorry but my healing powers don’t extend to sicknesses. I can’t cure them.”

“Let me know if you need anything, though,” Steem chimed in eagerly. “Anything at all!”

Link smiled at the guardian of the Snow Realm’s kindness. “We will, thanks.”

They finished clearing the table, and when Kid and Link attempted to help with the dishes, Steem shooed them away under the premise that he was the host and they were the guests and they had to look after their sick companions anyway. The white-haired man left no room for argument, so they had no choice but to agree and exit the kitchen.

“Tetra’s definitely sick,” Midna reported as they neared the fire where they’d left the girls. “I don’t know how she can even deny it.”

“She’s probably out of it and doesn’t know what she’s saying,” Link returned quietly, crouching down by Tetra and laying a hand on her forehead. “She’s definitely warmer than normal. Kid, can you get me a cold cloth?”

“Yeah.” He turned to search for a cloth, then, deciding that he could just melt some snow on it to make it cold. Goddesses knew there was plenty of the stuff.

“I have one,” Zelda spoke up suddenly, pulling out a cloth from the folds of her dress and holding it out to him.

Kid took a step towards her before remembering his agreement with Link. Noticing his hesitation, Zelda stole a glance at the dozing Tetra before whispering, “It’s alright. I am not ill.”

Link’s head whipped around so fast Kid was amazed his counterpart didn’t get whiplash. “You’re not?”

She shook her head with a small smile touching her lips.

Midna giggled, delighted by Zelda’s trick.

“Princess, if you wanted to be waited on hand and foot, you just had to ask,” Link said, standing and moving to Zelda’s side. “As a citizen, I’m obligated to serve you.”

“Noted; however, that is not my reasoning behind faking my illness,” Zelda informed them, her voice lowered to such a degree that Kid had to lean close to hear her. “Tetra was not going to let us care for her. We would have had a difficult time making her rest if not for my own illness.”

“And this is why you hold the Triforce of Wisdom,” Link declared, causing Zelda to laugh.

Kid furrowed his brow. Something still didn’t make sense. “Your cough earlier sounded real…”

“Yes, well, I’ve had sufficient practice,” Zelda said.

“Practice?” Midna interjected with a mischievous grin splitting her face. “Practice how? You’ve faked it before?”

“When I was younger,” Zelda began a bit guiltily, “I often faked illness to get out of meetings that were taking too long or just to have a day to myself, free of studies and such.”

Midna burst out laughing, as did Kid, and it took much insistent shushing from Zelda to reign their giggles in. Thankfully, they didn’t wake Tetra.

“I don’t blame you at all!” Midna exclaimed, struggling to keep her voice quiet. “Meetings can be so dull.”

“I applaud you on your quality acting,” Link said, clapping slowly and causing Zelda to giggle and give a small bow.

“Though, I do wonder…” Midna’s gaze drifted to Tetra, her expression turning serious. “Is it really wise to accommodate her like this? Isn’t that teaching her she can be rude and stubborn all she wants? Don’t get me wrong, I love Tetra. She’s fun to be around, but she’s got such an attitude on her. Someone has to straighten her out or else she might become a tyrant.”

The Twilight Princess’s words laid a heaviness over the room that wasn’t there before. Tetra wasn’t a bad person; Kid knew that. Could she really become the wicked person Midna was suggesting if her attitude was left unchecked? He had his grandmother to teach him right from wrong, but Tetra’s moral code seemed…broken at times. And yet, who was he to attempt to right it? He’d done so before, helpfully interjecting his own moral opinion in issues only to be ignored.

“I agree,” Zelda said finally. “I do not condone it, but I see no sense in getting her upset while she’s sick. For now, I’ll play the invalid and turn a blind eye, but when she’s better, I intend to address her attitude.”

“Good,” Midna declared approvingly. “I’ll even help you if you want.”

“I’ll let you know if I need your assistance,” Zelda assured her, seeming slightly uncertain at the Twilight Princess’s expression. Midna wasn’t always the gentlest person, and her personality was close enough to Tetra’s that it would only take one wrong word to start a heated argument.

“So, uh, playing along…is there anything I can get you, my lady?” Link asked with faux reverence as he knelt by the couch Zelda was lounging on.

Princess Zelda took some time to ponder the question before answering, “Yes, if you could brew me a cup of tea that would be lovely. Make enough for Tetra too; it will help her throat when she wakes, and put honey in it too if you can. I personally would like milk and two sugars in mine, thank you.”

Kid could visibly see his counterpart struggle to keep the laughter out of his voice as he replied, “As you wish, your highness.”

With that, Link departed to the kitchen where Anjean and Steem had yet to emerge, and Kid took the cloth from Zelda, briefly ducking outside to grab some snow. The frozen particles began to melt almost immediately within being brought back inside the sanctuary, and in no time at all, Kid was holding a cold, wet cloth.

Link wasn’t back yet so, as swiftly and quietly as he could, Kid laid the cloth on Tetra’s forehead, being careful not to touch her directly. That done, he stepped away, only to be drawn towards Zelda who had taken out the Goddess’s Harp and was quietly teasing the strings.

“You’re pretty good at that,” he observed, taking a seat at the other end of the couch.

“Thank you. It’s strange but…it seems that some part of me remembers it, as if I’ve done it before.” Something seemed to occur to Zelda then and her head snapped up. “Fi, did a past reincarnation of mine play the harp?”

Forever graceful, Fi twirled out of the Master Sword and came to hover by Kid’s side. “Yes. The harp you hold belonged to the Goddess Hylia and, later, her first reincarnation. My first Master also played it.”

Suddenly, the harp was much more impressive. Kid couldn’t believe the instrument was as old as Fi was suggesting and by Zelda’s expression, she couldn’t believe it either. Besides a few nicks and scratches, it looked brand new. No doubt, the royal family had done a superb job maintaining it.

“Will that be all, Your Grace?” Fi wanted to know.

“Yes, thank you, Fi.” Zelda dismissed the sword spirit with a nod of her head. She then turned to him. “Would you like to try it? According to Fi, you played it too, once.”

Curious despite himself, Kid accepted the harp. He plucked at a few strings, wincing at the discord. Though the harp did feel somewhat familiar in his hands, it also felt awkward and after a few minutes of fingering the strings without any particularly pretty results, he came to a conclusion. “I don’t think I was very good at this before…Fi, was I good at playing the harp?”

“No.” The reply was so immediate and detached of all feeling that Kid couldn’t help but laugh.

“Eee hee! Fi doesn’t cut corners, does she?” Midna giggled, and Zelda failed to conceal her amused smile as Kid returned the harp to her.

“At least she’s honest,” Kid said.

Link returned a handful of minutes later, carefully bearing a tray of steaming mugs, Anjean in tow. The Lokomo girl hurried to pull over a table for Link to set the tray on.

“Here’s your tea, as requested,” Link announced, handing Zelda a mug which she accepted with a gracious, “Thank you.”

“And I made us hot cocoa,” his counterpart added, holding out an equally hot mug to him.

Kid took the drink and stared curiously at the rich brown contents. “What’s that?”

Anjean gasped. “You don’t have cocoa where you’re from?”

He shook his head warily which only inspired the girl to encourage him further. “You have to try it! Oh, but don’t burn your tongue. It’s hot. Blow on it first.”

Kid did as she suggested, feeling slightly awkward with all his companions watching him, and took a sip. Hot, bitter-sweetness exploded over his tongue and suddenly he didn’t know how he ever lived without such a wonderful taste in his life.

His pleasure must have shown on his face, for Link laughed. “You like it, I can tell.”

He nodded heartily and took another sip, not even caring that it was a little too hot. It was warming his body from the inside out, which was a welcome change from the cold he’d been enduring recently.

“How can anyone not like it? It’s cocoa!” Anjean exclaimed happily, taking a sip of her own drink.

Midna rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Light-dwellers.”

“I made a cup for you too, if you want it, Midna,” Link informed her.

She squinted her eyes suspiciously but eventually gave in. “Only a taste,” she pledged. “Just to see what you guys are raving about.”

‘Only a taste,’ turned out to be the whole cup, a fact Link teased the Twilight Princess about to no end, prompting her to threaten to turn him into a wolf again. Instead, they compromised, and Link promised to wait on her like he was doing for Zelda and Tetra for the rest of their stay at the sanctuary.

It was just after noon by the time Tetra awoke, and Zelda, who had previously been talking with Link, swiftly dropped back into her ill façade, letting out a cough for good measure.

“Good afternoon sol-shine. Have a nice nap?” Midna greeted, resting her chin on her fists.

Tetra sat up, frowning at the cloth that fell into her lap. She quickly cast it aside.

“Do you feel any better?” Link asked.

The young pirate glared at the hero and opened her mouth to speak only for a violent coughing fit to cut her off. Unlike Zelda’s coughing, this was real, and it didn’t sound good at all.

Link was beside her in less than a second, apparently forgetting her aversion to touch because he was rubbing her back like he’d done for Kid when he was upset before. Only Kid knew Tetra wouldn’t appreciate the gesture like he had.

Kid rushed over, intent on pulling his counterpart away before Tetra recovered and did something she didn’t mean, but he wasn’t fast enough. Her fit subsided just as he placed his hands on Link’s arm, and she pushed them both away, stumbling onto unsteady feet.

“Leave me alone!” A violent cough wracked her frame, but she regained control quickly, drawing herself up as straight as possible and wrapping her hand around the hilt of her dagger, white knuckled.

A spark of déjà vu that made his stomach flip was all it took for Kid to step in front of his counterpart. He held up his hands, nonthreatening. “He didn’t mean it.”

Distrust radiated from his best friend and it hurt. It hurt because he didn’t know how to help.

“If you try anything with that dagger I’m taking it away,” Midna said.

“No,” Kid protested immediately, glancing behind him at the imp. That would definitely be the wrong thing to do. “Don’t do that.”

“She proved we can’t trust her with it before. I’m not going to-”

“Midna, let Kid handle this,” Zelda spoke up from the couch, looking much more alert than an ill person would, but something told him that Zelda didn’t care about upholding fake illnesses at the moment.

“Listen, Link’s sorry,” Kid said, facing Tetra once more. “He won’t touch you without your permission again, okay?”

The moments stretched into eons as they stood there with nothing but tense silence between them. Then, finally, Tetra loosened her grip on her dagger. “Keep him away from me.”

Kid nodded vehemently in agreement, and though he was glad he’d defused the situation, he couldn’t help feeling unsettled by how easy it was. Arguments with Tetra were always long, drawn out affairs that were liable to leave him with a sore throat and aching head afterwards. They were never simple. For Tetra to reign in her stubbornness so early, she had to be feeling awful.

The knowledge only put a pit in his stomach. He should have been watching her. As much as she always claimed she didn’t need it, that she was capable of looking after herself, Kid knew better. Tetra attracted trouble, just as he did, if not more so. And that’s exactly why he had to protect her. To save her from anything that wanted to hurt her. Only…he couldn’t save her from illness.

“Hey,” A soft rap on the top of his head jolted him out of his thoughts. His eyes snapped up to meet Link’s. “Give this to Tetra for me?”

He looked down, noting the steaming cup of tea in his counterpart’s hands. Maybe he couldn’t save her from illness. But there were still things he could do to help.

Nodding, Kid accepted the cup from Link and delivered it to Tetra, who had since settled herself down elsewhere. She eyed him warily as he approached with the cup, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t say anything either. There was nothing to say. Tetra had ears, even if they were a little stuffy with sickness. She likely heard the entire exchange.

Therefore, it came as no surprise to him when she ignored the tea he’d set down carefully beside her. It also came as no surprise to him when she eventually tasted it, and liked what it did for her sore throat, draining the entire cup in record time. The sickness must have been taking its toll on her, for she fell asleep again soon after. Kid didn’t allow himself to worry too much. He knew that rest was the best medicine, so he left his friend to it and busied himself with other things.

Training was out of the question for the time being, so he contented himself with talking to his counterpart and Zelda and asking Fi questions about her first master. It turned out that Fi had quite a few tales to tell about him, from his escapades of breaking and working off the expense of a chandelier at a local pub to being booed at the same pub for trying and failing to play backup for a girl with a lovely voice named Kina.

Anjean and Steem were interested as well, posing questions of their own when Kid and the others ran out. Fi answered them all in the same unfeeling monotone as always, but Kid liked to think that she was enjoying the reminiscing of an age long past.

Upon Zelda’s request, he began to teach her his world’s written Hylian and though he offered his services to Link as well, his counterpart didn’t seem overly interested in the matter. Not like the princess was, and so Kid found himself playing teacher most of the time, reminding him vaguely of helping Grandma teach Aryll her letters. Although, unlike Aryll, Zelda had an entirely different concept of written language than he did and was thoroughly puzzled by his written Hylian. Only when the princess started to explain her own written language to him did Kid become confused as well.

To him, it was bizarre to have one symbol assigned to each individual letter instead of one symbol per sound. Maybe that was why Link and Zelda had odd accents. Nonetheless, he became determined to learn it and by the third day of their stay with Steem, both he and Zelda had caught on enough to at least write their own names and a few simple sentences with confidence. That was also about the time that Tetra became well enough to catch on to Zelda’s ploy, the princess having been so excited to learn that she’d neglected her acting.

Fortunately for Tetra, her fever had broken by then which meant traveling was a possibility again. So, on the morning of their fifth day at the Sanctuary, Kid, Link, Zelda, Tetra, Midna, and Anjean said their farewells to Steem and disembarked for the Fire Realm.

~*~

To say it was a shock was an understatement. How two such conflicting temperatures could co-exist side by side without one destroying the other, Kid would never know. All of them were quick to shed their winter garb, though even in just his regular tunic the heat was suffocating.

“Almost makes you want to go back to the Snow Realm, doesn’t it?” Anjean mused, letting her pan flute go and fanning herself with one hand.

“Nope,” Midna quipped, blending into the cool shadows. “This is much better.”

“For you maybe,” Link said, appearing to be sweating already under his thick tunic and heavy chainmail. “Let’s get this over with fast. I’m guessing humans don’t live here.”

“You’re right,” Anjean confirmed. “Besides Embrose, only Gorons live here.”

“Do you have any idea where we can find the guardian of this realm?” Zelda inquired as she stuffed their coats, gloves, and hats into her satchel for safe keeping.

Anjean hummed in thought, turning in a slow circle and taking in every inch of the rocky grey and brown landscape with her purple eyes. Finally, her gaze came to rest on the mountain’s peak, where a vortex of fire was belching into the air, burning the sky. “The volcano normally isn’t erupting and there’s a soul nearby it, so I’m willing to bet he’s there.”

Link sighed. “Great.”

“I can stop its eruption with an ice arrow for five minutes if we need to,” Kid spoke up. No doubt the lava-spewing volcano was making the area hotter than usual. Not to mention that it would be impossible to get close without burning to a crisp.

“Five minutes isn’t enough time to defeat the guy,” Tetra pointed out.

“No,” Kid agreed, “but it’s enough to lure him away to a less dangerous area.”

“Right then,” Link said. “Anjean is there a gate that can get us closer to the volcano?”

Anjean shook her head, an apologetic look on her face. “Unfortunately, no. But we can get there in the matter of a couple hours rather than a full day if we climb.”

At their puzzled expressions, Anjean bounded over to a sheer rock face, reaching up for a handhold. She quickly found one and in a matter of a few seconds, the Lokomo girl had hoisted herself up a good three feet off the ground, clinging to nothing but the uneven rock in front of her. She threw a triumphant look at them over her shoulder. “It’s easy! There are a bunch of handholds and footholds from when the volcano erupted in the past.”

“If I may ask, what is the alternate route?” Zelda wanted to know.

Anjean hopped off of the cliff-face and spun around, pointing to the mostly flat expanse of ground to her left—their right. “That path will take us there too, but as you can see, it’s quite winding, and thus a fair distance to travel.” She patted the rock behind her. “This is a shortcut.”

“Then let’s take it and stop talking already,” Tetra huffed, stepping forward to join Anjean.

“Wait a moment,” Zelda objected. “The other route seems safer.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re afraid of heights,” Tetra snapped, placing her hands on the rock wall in search of something to grip. “Get over it.”

“Actually, I was thinking of you. You’re still recovering. Besides that, there’s Kid’s arm.”

Tetra scowled. “I’m fine. And so is Kid. Right?” She threw him a look that seemed to war between irritation and concern.

“Right,” Kid confirmed, moving his left arm experimentally. It only hurt a little. “I can climb.”

“But you probably shouldn’t,” Link added.

Tetra rolled her eyes. “He’ll be _fine_. It’s more of a slope than a wall anyway.”

Eyeing the rock before him, Kid found that Tetra was correct. It wasn’t completely vertical. There was a neat slope to it. Enough that anyone attempting to climb it wouldn’t have to rely on pure upper body strength.

Link scrutinized the wall as well before giving his verdict. “Yeah…no. We’re going the long way.”

Tetra planted her hands on her hips. “Who put you in charge?”

“Seniority.”

“No.”

Sensing an argument brewing, Kid quickly stepped in to mediate. “What if we vote on it? That’s fair, right?” He glanced between his two friends. “All for climbing, raise your hand.”

Tetra’s hand shot up right away, and Kid’s wasn’t far behind. Anjean hesitated a moment before waving her hand in the air too. Link’s and Zelda’s hands remained firmly at their sides.

“It’s decided then,” Tetra proclaimed, dropping her arm. “We’re climbing.”

“Wait! Midna didn’t vote,” Link objected.

The Twilight Princess materialized from the shadows, arms crossed. “I don’t care how we get there, so long as we get there. Just pick a route already.”

“We’re climbing,” Tetra reiterated as Midna returned to Link’s shadow.

Sighing heavily, Link turned his attention to Princess Zelda. “If I tie you to me will that make you feel safer?”

“Yes, it may help a bit,” Zelda returned with a stiff nod and timid, yet grateful, smile.

Link’s gaze shot to him. “Kid, can I borrow your grappling hook?”

“Sure.” He dug out the requested item from his belongings and handed it to his counterpart.

“You know—” Link began as he started to unravel the grappling hook—“I have half a mind to tie you to me too.”

Kid couldn’t keep the annoyance off his face. He knew Link meant well but he was more than capable of climbing by himself. “I’m okay. Really. If my arm starts to hurt, I’ll tell you.”

“You better.”

“I will.”

Link glanced up and frowned. But not at Kid. At what was behind him. “Don’t go too far ahead of us!” Link called to Tetra and Anjean who had already begun scaling the rock.

“We won’t!” Anjean replied.

Tetra remained silent.

Kid waited until Link had finished securing himself to the princess and the two began to climb before starting up himself.

“I’ll help you if you slip or if something happens to the rope,” Kid informed Princess Zelda.

She thanked him, and he offered her a smile in return.

After that, there wasn’t much talking. Everyone was too busy concentrating on finding hand and foot holds, and in Zelda’s case, not looking down, that there was simply no time. Besides that, they had the oppressing heat to compete with and only a quarter of way up, Kid felt beads of sweat rolling down his back. From what he could discern bringing up the rear of their small band, everyone else was in a similar state of discomfort.

Kid didn’t know how much time passed before they crested the top and were blessed with a wide, flat landing that was similar to the path they’d started on. All he knew was that by the time they did, his muscles were aching and his throat was screaming for water.

“We’re not there yet?” Tetra exclaimed indignantly, peering up at the peak that was still very much out of their reach.

“There’s a few walls we have to climb. There’s no straight rock wall to the top,” Anjean explained.

“Dear Gods, have mercy,” Link breathed, plopping down on the ground in exhaustion. “We aren’t even halfway there.”

“Maybe you should take your chainmail off,” Kid suggested, knowing it couldn’t be doing his counterpart any good.

Link, however, shook his head in refusal. “I might need it. We don’t know if we’ll run into anything on the way.”

“Don’t be dumb,” Midna admonished, appearing from the shadows to reprimand him. “You’re going to get heatstroke at this rate.”

“I will not.”

“You will!”

As the squabble continued between the pair, Zelda passed around the bottles she’d had the sense to fill with clean snow—which had since turned to water—before they left the Snow Realm. She withheld water from the Hero of Twilight until he conceded that Midna was right and removed his chainmail.

Revitalized, the five of them continued their climb in the same procession as before, no one quite beneath anyone else lest they should, Goddesses forbid, fall.

Thankfully, there were no such incidents and what must have been an hour or maybe four later—the heat was muddling his head—Kid found himself scaling the last traversable rock wall with his companions. Once at the top, he would fire an ice arrow, either allowing them to continue to the volcano’s peak, or baiting this realm’s guardian out of hiding. Kid only hoped he would be able to recall the frigidness of the Snow Realm while feeling so overwhelmingly hot.

To increase his chances of success, Kid began to replay the events of their stay in the Snow Realm, recalling the chill of the snow as it struck his skin, the slippery ice underfoot, and the numbing sensation of standing in the winter air without a coat. By the time Anjean, Link, and Zelda had reached the top and were scrambling over the lip to safety, Kid was confident that he could call on the ice magic.

Of course, that’s when everything had to fall apart.

Tetra, who had begun to lag behind the others some time ago and was just above and to the left of Kid as a result, misjudged and a foothold that should have been sturdy was not. She let out a surprised scream right before she fell.

Everyone else screamed her name, but Kid didn’t have time for that. He only had time to gasp and lunge for her, praying to the three Golden Goddesses above to let him catch his falling friend.

It seemed that they were willing to answer, for once, and Kid’s left hand found Tetra’s arm, jerking her to a sudden stop and him nearly off the cliff-face.

The two of them stayed like that for a second, gasping for breath. Then, the burn in his arm hit him tenfold, and he knew he couldn’t support Tetra for much longer.

“Stay there!” Link ordered, hastily tugging at the rope around his waist to untie it. “I’ll come get you.”

Midna was faster, shooting out of the shadows and down to their level.

“Here, Tetra. Grab here,” Midna instructed the pirate girl, helping her find stable ledges to cling to.

Without a word, Tetra scrambled to do as Midna said, jostling Kid’s arm further in the process. He bit his lip to keep from crying out. It didn’t hurt. Not that much. If he willed the thoughts into his mind, it almost kept the pain at bay.

When he was sure Tetra was steady, he let go. That’s about when the tiny outcropping of rock in his right hand decided to crumble.

Weightlessness was not a new sensation. He’d been flung across the sea multiple times, tossed around by wind and enemies alike, and jumped from great heights. He’d even fallen down ominous holes and back flipped off a cliff once. This was a bit like that, except he wasn’t in a Silent Realm and landing on the ground would actually kill him.

The knowledge tore a panicked scream from his throat, and he instinctively grappled for a handhold but everything was rushing by too fast and he was falling backwards and the sky was too red, like it was reminding him of the state he’d be in when he hit the ground.

He squeezed his eyes shut then, as if banishing the sky from his sight would change the outcome of his fall. To his utter astonishment, it did.

A buzzing that Kid could distinctly identify as magic, enveloped him like a cozy blanket and, though the weightlessness remained, the rushing wind ceased.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last long, and when the wind returned, roaring in his ears, he couldn’t help snapping his eyes open. A different, yet no less red, view of the sky greeted him. He was able to admire it for a second, maybe two, before he crashed down and cracked his head against the ground, causing darkness to rush in at the edges of his vision.

A sharp pain in the back of his skull made him flinch but it quickly evened out to cool relief, alerting him to the fact that someone was cradling his head.

Sound was a bit slower to return, but once it did he caught the tail end of a conversation. “…tch him! At least, that was my plan.”

“It’s fine. Is he alright?” The ground was rumbling.

“He should be…Kid, can you open your eyes?” Anjean’s request should have been an impossible one. After falling from so high up there was no way he should be alive. And yet, here he was. Cautiously, he peeled open his eyes.

The purple-haired girl’s worried face swam into focus, but upon seeing him looking up at her, it lit up. “You’re awake! Good.”

“What…happened?” Kid mumbled, his mind still muddled.

“You fell and I used my magic to save you,” Anjean explained, her eyes soft and caring as they stared into his own.

“You…saved me?” Kid had a hard time believing it, considering how bent on killing him she’d been just a few days ago.

“Yes, but I misjudged a little bit when I teleported you,” Anjean admitted, looking away sheepishly. “I’m not very good at judging distance and, well, you ended up higher than I meant you to. I was trying to get Link to catch you, but I didn’t give him enough warning and you kind of both went down. Sorry about that, dear.” She turned her attention to his counterpart then. “Are you hurt, by the way?”

“Just a little bruised,” Link reported. Now the rumbling made sense. It was just his counterpart talking. He should really get off of him but his limbs suddenly felt like Chu jelly so he remained where he was and focused on breathing in an attempt to calm his racing heart.

 “I think I have a fear of heights now,” Kid commented.

 “Will that fear stop you from saving your princess?” Midna’s voice floated over to him from somewhere to his left. “Because I could use some help.”

That’s right! Tetra! Kid shot up into a sitting position and turned towards the edge. He shifted a little closer to it but could only catch a flash of his best friend still clinging to the wall, Midna hovering beside her, before vertigo crashed into him, and he was forced to twist away from certain doom.

“I’ll get her,” Link said, placing a hand on his shoulder and getting to his feet. Stay here.”

Kid expected to hear a protest from the pirate captain about how she could do it herself, but there was no such remark. Tetra didn’t say a word as Link came to her rescue, not even to thank him, though that wasn’t so surprising.

What was surprising, or rather, unnerving, was the blankness in her eyes when Kid caught sight of her. Noticing it as well, Zelda suggested a break before continuing. No one objected.


	27. Possessed Lokomo - Embrose

She was supposed to be different. Damsel in distress didn't suit her. At least, Tetra hadn't thought it did. Now, she wasn't so sure.

Kid had nearly died because of her. If she hadn't slipped, he would never have fallen. Anjean would never have saved him, and she could have kept hating the girl's guts. But she had slipped, and he had fallen, and Anjean had saved him, so Tetra had no choice but to forgive the girl that had previously tried to kill her best friend because that same girl just  _saved_  her best friend.

And Tetra had done nothing.  _Could_  do nothing.

Just like before.

Just like always.

She squeezed the shard of Wisdom beneath her bandana, feeling its sharp edges dig into her palm through the fabric. Maybe it was her destiny to be a burden.

"Tetra." She tensed at the sound of her counterpart's voice, her head jerking in the princess's direction. "May I sit?"

Her gaze slipped away from Zelda to the fire exploding from the top of the mountain. They were toeing the danger line sitting here, but Tetra couldn't quite bring herself to care anymore. "Do what you want." It wasn't like she'd be able to stop her counterpart from sitting down next to her. Knowing Princess Zelda, she'd do it regardless of Tetra's answer.

There was a beat of hesitation, probably because the princess was checking to discern the cleanest place to sit – hint, there was no clean place. It was all dirt and rock. ' _Welcome to nature, Miss Privileged'_  – before Zelda settled down beside her.

"Kid's alright if you're wondering." She had been, but she wasn't going to admit it. That would only open up the floodgates for Zelda to ask her why she hadn't asked Kid herself or gone over to him in the five minutes they'd already been taking a break. Then she'd have to admit that it was because she was guilty guilty guilty and didn't want to look at him. Or Anjean. Or anyone. That she wanted to disappear for a good while because she'd messed up royally. But pirates didn't do such things. Princesses didn't do such things. Adults didn't do such things. Therefore, she could do no such thing.

Zelda inhaled as if she was about to say something, but then decided against it. Breathed out. Breathed in. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." Her answer was curt. Straight-to-the point. Confident, if a bit monotone. It left no room for discussion, but the princess barreled on.

"Are you quite certain? If you're feeling unwell, you must speak up."

"I feel fine." Again, straightforward. Firm. Definite.

But also a lie, and Zelda knew that just as much as Tetra did, for she fired right back. "If that's the case, why did you fall?"

She gave her counterpart the side-eye. "Because the stupid rock crumbled in my hand."

"That shouldn't have mattered," Zelda countered easily. "You're an excellent climber. You have displayed your skill multiple times while sailing. Losing one handhold should not have caused you to fall. Unless you were feeling unwell, of course."

"So what if I don't feel one-hundred percent?" Tetra snapped, irritated at the way the tickle in her throat betrayed her. She took a moment to clear it. "We have to keep going anyway."

"We can take breaks, just as we're doing now. We could have rested at the Snow Sanctuary for an extra day. There are options."

"Not if we want to win."

"Especially if we want to win," Zelda corrected her, carving the frown lines deeper into Tetra's forehead. "If you or any of the rest of us are unwell, we will be that much easier for our enemies to take down. We'll be handing the fight to them. However, if we are all healthy, nothing can stop us."

It made sense; that much, Tetra would admit. However, she could not agree with her counterpart. If she did, she was liable to be coddled, and that was something she could not stand. Only one person had ever coddled and loved her, and that one person was dead.

Tetra's silence wasn't the answer Zelda was hoping for and, much to Tetra's chagrin, the princess opened her mouth again. "This isn't about you being ill, is it? This is about something else. Will you tell me what's wrong?"

Nayru. How could her counterpart be so perceptive? "Nothing's wrong."

"Every time help is offered to you, you refuse it," Zelda returned.

"Because I don't need it," Tetra shot back hotly, turning to subject her counterpart to the full force of her glare. If not being able to baby Tetra to her liking was the issue then Zelda was in for it big time. "I'm an adult and can take care of myself."

"I don't doubt that. However-"

"You do doubt it," Tetra interrupted her with a fierceness that surprised even her. "Otherwise you wouldn't treat me like a kid. You're not my mother, you know!" The heat from the volcano was getting to her. It had invaded her eyes and now they were burning, blurring.

But still she held her glare and watched as Zelda blinked dumbly before slowly shaking her head in…horror? She placed a hand on her chest as if holding back some emotion. By her facial expression, it wasn't working. "Tetra…I—replacing your mother was  _never_  my intent. I do not wish to do such a thing; I would never think of doing such a thing! My aim is only to guide you."

"I don't need your guidance," Tetra breathed, feeling as if she was breathing smoke. They were terribly close to the volcano. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if she was. "That's not your job."

"What is my job?" Zelda asked.

"To mind your own business."

The princess considered this for a moment. "I apologize if I have been coming off as nosy to you. I understand you don't want me prying so I won't. I just want to let you know that even adults need help sometimes and if you ever decide you need help, I'm here."

Zelda's words hung between them, and Tetra knew she was expected to accept them. But she couldn't, and it was only partly because of Midna interrupting them. "We should wrap up break time. That lava's getting kind of close."

Indeed, when Tetra turned to look, she found Midna was correct. The lava leaking from the lip of the volcano, while rather slow, had nearly reached their flat outcropping of safety.

The pirate captain got to her feet immediately, not because she was frightened, but because the erupting volcano gave her an excuse to end the infuriating conversation with her counterpart. Zelda got to her feet with a bit more reluctance, and Tetra wasted no time in stalking off to rejoin the others, who were already standing, prepared to continue. Of course, Kid had to shoot an ice arrow at the volcano before anyone could go anywhere.

"Are you sure you're okay to do this?" Link checked, the concern in his voice making Tetra scoff.

"He's fine," she declared. Link didn't take kindly to her butting in and made sure she knew it by shooting her an irritated look that she reciprocated.

"I'm fine," Kid said, nocking an arrow. In seconds, the Hero of Winds had transformed the ordinary arrow into an ice arrow and loosed it at the peak of the volcano, successfully ending the brewing argument.

More importantly, the frigid projectile froze the spiral of fire and lava sputtering out of the mountaintop.

"Amazing!" Anjean exclaimed, beaming in wonder at the graceful swirl of ice twisting towards the sky and the waves of frozen lava cascading down the volcano.

"It won't hold for long," Kid reminded her.

"That's okay. I'm sure the evil spirit controlling Embrose has-" An explosion cut Anjean off as the magic from Kid's arrow was dispelled and the lava burst out of the volcano at full force. Everyone's eyes were directed to the sky where a figure that could only be Embrose floated in front of the raging volcano. "-noticed," Anjean finished.

"That was quick," Midna observed. "Think he's mad?"

"Fuming," Tetra reckoned with a smirk. Their levity didn't last long.

"The lava's moving faster," Kid noted, taking a step back.

"We did not think this through enough," Link decided as he retreated a step as well, eyes on the fast-approaching lava. Tetra had to agree. Where were they even intending on luring the guardian in the first place? They were on top of a mountain that they'd had to scale to get to where they currently stood. There was no quick, easy way down.

"Can you freeze the lava again, Kid?" Princess Zelda wondered.

"I can try…" Kid prepared another arrow, coating it in ice magic before launching it at the threatening lava flow. To everyone's delight, the lava was halted instantly by numbing ice crystals.

Unfortunately, the possessed Embrose wasn't content to let them freeze the lava. An arrow shrouded in fire rocketed down from the sky, obliterating the ice and freeing the magma.

"Is the bow his only weapon?" Tetra asked Anjean.

"It's his main weapon. He carries a hammer sometimes for close range battle," the Lokomo girl replied distractedly.

That was good enough for her. Snatching Kid's bow from his hand and pinching an arrow from his quiver, Tetra wasted no time in following through with her plan. She notched the arrow and pulled back the bowstring, pleased with how little thought making a light arrow took now.

Aiming carefully, Tetra released the shining projectile. Sadly, her target wasn't dumb enough to be impaled by such an obvious attack. He also didn't take kindly to being thought dumb enough, apparently, since he fired an arrow right back at her before she could so much as blink.

To her relief, and mild annoyance, her best friend was quick enough to whip out his mirror shield and deflect the flaming arrow before it could hit her.

"That was stupid," Midna commented as Zelda erected a magic barrier to protect them from any follow-up attacks. "You should know by now that none of these fights are going to be  _that_  simple."

"It was worth a shot," she grumbled, throwing Kid's bow back at him in frustration at her blunder. They needed a new strategy. Preferably one that came from her so she could get Zelda to see she wasn't as in dire need of help or "guidance" as the princess liked to think. And maybe to prove that to herself, too. Unfortunately, the more Tetra wracked her brain for an idea, the less her brain wanted to cooperate.

Anjean's brain, on the other hand, had been scheming for a while if her determined stance was anything to go by.

With her back to the rest of them, Anjean threw her arms wide. It almost looked like she was inviting the fiery mountain into an embrace, and Tetra would have been convinced that this was her intent if it hadn't been for the five orbs of purple light that appeared with the motion.

Out of the light dropped…Darknuts? No. They looked closer to the phantoms on the Ghost Ship. Either way, it was suspicious, and Tetra glanced at Kid to gauge his reaction. By the look on his face, he was thinking the same thing.

Perhaps sensing their unease, Anjean whirled around to address them. "We can use the phantoms to fight!" So they  _were_  phantoms. Though she hadn't had a pleasant experience with the phantoms on the Ghost Ship, an innate part of her insisted that Anjean's phantoms weren't malicious.

Still, that feeling could have just been because the blue-tinted armor wasn't moving. In fact, they didn't seem to hold any life at all. Which begged the question: "How's empty suits of armor supposed to help us fight?"

Anjean smiled knowingly. "They're not. The Spirits are." As if her words were a signal, the immobile suits of armor lifted their helmeted heads to reveal glowing eyes. None of them were red as she'd been expecting. Two were blue, one was green, one was purple, and one was white.

"Okay, everyone! Shields up!" Anjean instructed, mimicking the action of raising a shield above her head with her hands. The phantoms obliged after some fidgeting, and Anjean wasted no time in half-climbing, half-hopping up the purple-eyed phantom to reach the rectangular shield above its head. Once there, she stood tall and steady on the smooth metal, staring down at the rest of them triumphantly. "Phantoms are fire and lava proof, so they can act as our feet. Pick any one you like, but I would hurry."

Tetra was in no rush. Yes, the lava was getting uncomfortably close, but she held absolutely no trust for Anjean's "spirits". There was no way she was going to put her life in their hands.

Kid shared her concern, for he didn't budge either.

Anjean noticed their hesitance at once. "It's okay. You can trust them!"

"I don't trust any of your spirits." Tetra scowled.

"I picked these spirits specifically to help us. They won't do anything bad!" Anjean pledged. "Please, trust me!"

To Tetra's chagrin, there wasn't much of a choice. She and Kid raced to team up with the two phantoms still left unclaimed. As she scrambled up to stand on the makeshift shield platform, Tetra was startled by a tinny, "Hello!"

"Uh…hi?" she ventured, uncertain. She didn't know these things could talk.

"My name's Cybil!"

"Tetra…"

"I won't hurt you, so don't worry. In fact, I'll do anything you tell me to!"

A pleased smile tugged at the corners of Tetra's lips. She liked the sound of that. It meant she got to play captain again, and it seemed like the spirit inhabiting her phantom was all too eager to obey. And talk. She proved to be a chatter box, but it was bearable as long as she could follow orders well.

Slowly, Tetra lifted herself up out of her crouching position, the new view making her grateful that she decided to trust Anjean. The lava slugging past the phantoms' feet did not look inviting in the least.

"Not that I'm not grateful for being burn-free right now, but how are we supposed to fight like this?" Link questioned Anjean.

"I'm not entirely sure," Anjean admitted sheepishly, "but I did make sure to summon warp phantoms so we'd have greater mobility."

"And warp phantoms are…?" Tetra prompted.

"Just what they sound like. They're able to warp wherever a phantom eye is and a phantom eye…" Anjean paused to cup her hands and performed a bit of magic. In a puff of violet light, a freaky looking little eyeball…peahat…thing floated above Anjean's open palms. "Looks like this. I'll scatter a bunch around the volcano and you can direct your phantom to warp as you like. The only thing is…it takes a lot of energy to summon phantoms and phantom eyes. I don't think I'll be able to fight alongside the rest of you."

"That's alright. This is a big help in itself," Zelda assured the dejected girl with a smile. Anjean beamed back at her.

"Right! So…I'll leave the fighting to all of you. A phantom eye will be next to me at all times." At this, Anjean released the creature in her hand, allowing it to float beside her phantom. "If anyone gets hurt, warp here, and I'll heal you. Otherwise, do all you can to get that evil spirit out of Embrose!"

Anjean bowed her head in concentration, and while she summoned more phantom eyes to sprinkle over the mountain, the rest of them focused on forming a plan.

"We split up and surround him," Tetra proposed. "He can't watch us all at once and there's no way he can shoot us all."

"We cannot count on that. If the others are anything to go by, he may be able to shoot in four directions at once," Zelda pointed out, wincing as a flurry of arrows pummeled her shield. The cracks were quickly mended.

"Even if he can, we could warp out of the way," Kid suggested.

"Yes!" Tetra exclaimed, suddenly inspired by the Hero of Winds' thought process. "That's what we can do. If we all keep warping at random, he won't be able to keep up."

"So warp and then fire a light arrow?" Kid wondered.

"Yes, but in your case, you should use Fi's Skyward Strike and give me your bow so I can fire light arrows," Tetra said.

"Wait, that gives me nothing to use," Link protested. "Kid, let me have Fi. You can use your bow, and Tetra, I'll lend you mine."

"That works," Tetra agreed, accepting the bow and quiver Link passed to her. It was larger than Kid's, but she would manage.

"It'd probably be better to mix up when you shoot projectiles at him," Link added as he caught the Master Sword Kid tossed his way. "That way he can't catch onto a pattern."

Zelda nodded sagely in approval.

"Wow, this might be the first real plan we've had in a while," Midna joked as she floated up from the shadows. "There's only one thing that could throw it off."

"Oh? What's that?" Zelda wondered.

Midna smirked. "If you all make for the same direction."

"Zelda stays south of the volcano, Link goes north, Kid goes west, and I go east," Tetra declared. "There, we all have a direction."

Midna giggled, merging back into Link's shadow. "Bossy."

Tetra was about to retort and inform Midna exactly why she wasn't bossy, but Anjean cut her off with an announcement. "The phantom eyes are ready when you are!"

"Thanks, Anjean!" Link returned before eyeing the rest of them. "Everyone be careful. Retreat to Anjean if you need to."

"Yeah, yeah," Tetra said as she shouldered Link's bow and quiver.

"Tetra, I'm serious."

She rolled her eyes. "I heard you. I know." Link's nagging was starting to bring back her sour mood. Rather than wallow in it, she decided to try out the warping feature. "Warp there!" Tetra ordered, pointing out a phantom eye a fair distance away, to the east. She wasn't entirely sure how Cybil was supposed to know where she wanted to go, but it turned out that her methods were acceptable, for a blink later Tetra was on the eastern side of the volcano.

"Whoa." She knelt immediately, head spinning as her brain scrambled to catch up with her body.

"It's a little disorienting, isn't it?" Cybil giggled, the sound echoing in her helmet. "But it's fun!"

"Sure." Tetra agreed, blinking away the dizziness. That could be a problem when aiming, but for now she had to focus on positioning herself better.

A quick glance around informed her that she had many options. There were phantom eyes closer to the peak and farther down, farther left, and farther right. Accounting for the dizziness, it would probably be best to be closer to her target rather than farther.

"Warp to that one."

It took a second but Cybil obliged. Once they landed, she proceeded to gush. "Oh, I've never controlled a warp phantom before! It's so neat! I can see everything. I can cycle through all the eyes and see what they see!"

"So that's how you know where I'm pointing?" Tetra guessed with mild interest as she adjusted to the new position. She was fairly close to Embrose here. If she squinted, she could make out his black eyes.

"Yes! You don't even have to point. Just look at the phantom eye you want to warp to, and I can do it!"

"Good to know," Tetra said, preparing an arrow but not pouring magic into it just yet. If she did, the possessed guardian would notice her for sure.

It turned out that he already had.

A flaming arrow hurtled towards her head, and it was all Tetra could do to twist out of the way, mindful of the edge of the shield she was standing on. The arrow breezed by, her face briefly being kissed by the heat of it in passing.

"Let's go over there," Tetra said, leveling her gaze at a phantom eye a little farther down the mountain. As Cybil chirped an affirmative, they warped, and Tetra swore she felt heat on her neck, but it could've just been her imagination. It was boiling hot due to the lava beneath her, after all.

This time, Tetra didn't bother clinging to stealth. The possessed Embrose had made it clear she wasn't stealthy at all.

She reached for her magic and poured just enough into the arrow to illuminate it in pure light. Arrow shining, Tetra directed her attention to Embrose, only to find another fire arrow heading her way. It was too close to dodge, but Cybil saw it too and warped to a nearby phantom eye without consulting her first.

Dizziness struck her immediately, but Tetra didn't mind. She would gladly take disorientation over death any day. Aiming as best she could, Tetra pulled back the bowstring and let her light arrow fly. She didn't expect it to hit, so she felt no disappointment when Embrose avoided it and released the four flaming arrows he'd notched when she'd been busy aiming.

It was then that the possessed man proved he could fire in four cardinal directions at once, provided he had the height, which he did.

Of course, Tetra was sure to note that while he could shoot four arrows at once in four different directions, his aim was awful. The arrow in her direction flew wide, missing her by yards. She watched it whiz by as she prepared another of her own projectiles, smirking at the attempt until the arrow struck a phantom eye dead center, popping it out of existence. Apparently the phantom eyes weren't as indestructible as the phantoms.

Tetra refocused on her current task. One less warp point was no big deal. There were still plenty of options left. At least, that's what she thought before Embrose took out another phantom eye, followed by another and another.

Hoping he was preoccupied with limiting their mobility, Tetra drew back the bowstring once more, aiming another sacred arrow at the possessed Lokomo. She released it just as another light arrow lit up the ashen sky.

Embrose dodged them both and returned fire. Tetra's eyes darted to find a location to warp to, but Embrose had done a fine job of wiping out the phantom eyes on her side.

She swore under her breath, scooting to the left as much as she could in hopes that the arrow would miss her. And that arrow did. The next one she didn't see in time to completely dodge. It nicked her right arm, the wound made even more excruciating by the heat of the flaming arrow. Her hand flew to the injury immediately, and she hissed in pain.

"Oh no! Are you okay? I can't see much anymore. Most of the phantom eyes are gone! Do you want me to warp to the one by Anjean?" Cybil rambled.

"Yes." If nothing else, she needed to tell Anjean to give her more warp points. Otherwise, there was no way she'd be able to go through with the plan.

A blink later Tetra found herself beside Anjean. The purple-haired girl set to healing her injury at once.

"Embrose destroyed all the phantom eyes on the east side, and he probably destroyed a bunch everywhere else too," Tetra informed the Lokomo girl as her arm was mended.

"I know. I'm working on summoning more than I need this time so I can easily replace the ones he-" Anjean's explanation was cut off by a flash of blue and a boom that made both girls jump.

When she turned to look, Tetra found a transparent blue shield with a spider-webbed impact point at eye level.

"Thank you!" Anjean called to Princess Zelda who Tetra had forgotten was on this side of the volcano. She had a similar shield erected around herself, and Tetra had half a mind to tell her to dismiss the one around her and Anjean. The pirate captain could pour her own magic into an identical defense mechanism while Anjean worked.

Be that as it may, Tetra knew her shields weren't as strong as Zelda's so she let her counterpart expend her magic and impatiently waited for Anjean to finish healing her and summon more phantom eyes.

There must have been hundreds floating around the girl's head by the time she started to send some out to hover in strategic spots around the volcano.

She glanced at Tetra upon finishing, but the pirate girl needed no prompting. In a flash, she was alone again on the east side of the mountain.

"Cybil, keep warping to new locations every three seconds. Make sure you stay on the east side."

"Sure thing!" Cybil chirped.

One. Tetra slipped the bow off her shoulder.

Two. She nocked an arrow.

Three. She waited.

Lightheadedness swept through her as they warped. It was starting to become familiar now, like the rolling of a ship's deck under her feet.

She waited another three seconds before dipping into her magic supply and imbuing the plain arrow with light.

Three seconds later she fired it.

The streak of light missed its target, but Tetra had been expecting that and was already in the process of preparing another arrow. This time, she waited a full thirty seconds before shooting.

Her success wasn't any greater than last time, but the pirate captain didn't let that deter her and soon fell into a pattern of sorts, though not a true pattern for that would have been dangerous.

Every time she loosed a light arrow, she made another, sometimes releasing it immediately upon its creation and other times holding it for random counts. All the while, the possessed man fired his own arrows, attempting to injure her and dispose of the phantom eyes.

Luckily for her, Cybil followed her instructions smartly and would warp without fail to a new location every three seconds unless there was incoming danger, in which she'd warp faster.

They could do nothing to protect the phantom eyes from Embrose's rain of flaming arrows, but Anjean proved to be adept at her job, for she replaced the missing warp points almost before Tetra noticed they were gone.

From that point forward, the fight was going rather smoothly, so Tetra really shouldn't have been as surprised as she was to feel a chill in her gut as she released yet another light arrow.

The heat from the lava had been keeping the coldness of losing magic at bay for a while now, but it seemed that the temperature around her could only mess with her intuition so much. She had one more light arrow in her. That meant one last chance to purge the evil spirit from Embrose before it was up to her fellow Triforce-bearers to do it.

Honestly, she should have had the forethought to grab a green potion before they split to go through with her plan. She supposed she still could, but that would require her to abandon her post and break the rhythm the four of them had going. Even worse, she'd have to ask her counterpart for the potion, and there was no way she'd do that. That would be admitting she needed help, and she didn't. She was Tetra, pirate captain and Princess of soon-to-be New Hyrule. She didn't need any help. Not from her counterpart and not from a potion. She could end this battle with her last shot.

Determined, Tetra infused the arrow in her hand with the last of her magic, nocked it, and pulled the bowstring back to her chin.

Cybil warped them to a new location, and Tetra blinked back her disorientation, quickly finding Embrose hovering above the fire belching volcano. She redirected her shot, taking note of the flash of lavender from the right side of the volcano that signified Link executing a Skyward Strike.

Now was the perfect chance!

Not wanting to waste it, Tetra loosed her last light arrow, gasping as the remaining dregs of magic were wrenched from her. It left a numbing cold in its wake and made her feel sick to her stomach. She didn't recognize the latter symptom so she could only assume it had to do with her being in the process of recovering from a cold.

Nonetheless, she pushed the uncomfortable physical feelings to the back of her mind and concentrated on her final attack, watching as it approached the possessed man and flew wide.  _Way_  wide. In fact, her aim had been so off that Embrose didn't have to do anything to avoid it.

Aware of this, the possessed man focused his attention on dodging the slice of sacred energy heading his way, as it posed the most threat with its height and width. What the evil spirit did not count on was a second light arrow, this one aimed well, from his left.

The light pierced Embrose's side, evicting the malicious spirit from its host. As the dark entity writhed into the dark clouds above to be whisked back to its demonic dimension, the unconscious Embrose dropped like a stone. Tetra's stomach dropped with him, the ceasing of the erupting volcano doing nothing to ease her fears.

Luckily, Anjean had planned ahead for such a scenario and had positioned a phantom eye below her fellow Lokomo earlier. The purple-haired girl used this warp point now to save him from falling to certain death.

"Yay! Embrose is saved!" Cybil cheered, startling Tetra as she bounced the shield up and down in celebration.

"Stop it." Tetra snapped, automatically dropping into a crouch to maintain her center of balance. "I'll fall."

"Whoops. Sorry."

If she hadn't felt nauseous before, she certainly did now. "Just warp to Anjean." She was starting to think her counterpart had a point. Recovering from an illness and being in the heat of battle did not mix well. Being so close to boiling hot lava probably wasn't doing wonders for her health either.

As she shook off the dizziness to the best of her ability, she realized that everyone else had beaten her to the unofficial meeting spot.

"Nice catch, Anjean," Link commended the Lokomo girl, who was currently kneeling over Embrose, healing the wound from the light arrow.

She spared him a small, tired smile. "Thank you."

"Are you alright, Tetra?" Zelda's question drew all eyes to her, and she felt her face flush with anger. Or maybe it was from the still hot lava below her.

"I'm fine." She straightened as if to prove it to herself.

"Your last light arrow missed by a  _lot_ ," Kid commented as he accepted the Master Sword back from Link.

"That's because Link's bow is too big for me," Tetra retorted, throwing the offending bow back at its owner, followed by the quiver.

Link caught both easily. "We should have asked that guy that made Kid a new bow to make you one too."

"Well, we didn't." Which was a shame, really, because it would have been useful. She was actually disappointed with herself for not thinking of it.

"Perhaps we can acquire one for you later," Zelda said. "For now, we should start heading down the mountain. It is still dangerous here even if the volcano is no longer erupting."

"But we can take a short breather if you need it," Link added, eyeing Anjean. She had finished healing Embrose and was now sitting back on her heels looking thoroughly exhausted. Tetra almost wanted to say something, praise her for providing the warp phantoms and phantom eyes, but she bit her tongue. Merely thinking it was embarrassing enough.

Anjean flashed a small smile. "That's okay. I'll feel better once we're away from all this heat." So saying, she swirled her finger in the air, instantly attracting all the remaining phantom eyes to her. She flicked roughly ten away, strategically depositing them down the mountain-side. The rest she dismissed with a wave of her hand, and they were swallowed by a flash of lavender light. "They'll get us clear of the lava. Then we can continue to the Fire Sanctuary on foot."

"Sounds like a plan." Link said.

Anjean and her phantom warped first, followed by Princess Zelda, Kid, herself, and then Link. They continued down the mountain in this order, pausing at each phantom eye briefly to regain their bearings. No matter how many seconds she waited, Tetra's head still spun. It didn't pose too much of an issue until they were clear of the lava, and it was time to get off of their phantoms' shields.

"Do you need help getting down, Tetra?" Link asked her, upon noticing she was the only one not on the ground besides Anjean and Embrose, but Anjean had already established that she would remain where she was until Embrose awoke.

"No." To prove it, Tetra shakily stood, only now realizing the cramping in her legs from crouching so long, and hopped off. Her landing was closer to a fall as she was forced to slam her hands on the ground to stay semi-upright. She scowled, straightening and dusting her scraped palms off. They stung.

Kid shot her a concerned look that she pretended not to see, and Anjean began speaking, not to her, but to the phantoms—the spirits, if you wanted to be specific.

"Everyone but Tilly, it's time to say goodbye! Leave your phantoms so I can put them back where they belong."

A chorus of farewells arose from the suits of armor lined up before them.

"Bye bye, Tetra!" Cybil exclaimed with a cheery wave.

Tetra raised her hand in parting. "Bye."

The white glow in the phantom's helmet winked out, and though the phantom remained upright, it seemed to sag. It was not Cybil anymore. For some reason, the knowledge made her heart ache.

Looking at the other three phantoms, it was obvious that they were empty shells, too. Only Anjean's phantom remained full of life.

Thirty seconds later it was also the only phantom in the vicinity because Anjean magicked away the rest, along with the remaining phantom eyes.

"Which way is the Fire Sanctuary, and how far is it?" Tetra asked. She desperately wanted to rest.

"That way." Anjean pointed. "It's a few hours walk from here."

In that case… "Move over," she ordered, climbing up the phantom to reach the shield Anjean and Embrose were lounging on.

The Lokomo girl obliged, scooting over to make room for Tetra. The shield was fairly gigantic so it could fit two slim girls and one unconscious Lokomo man comfortably.

With that, they began moving, and it quickly became clear why Anjean had elected to summon warp phantoms. Walking, phantoms were painstakingly slow. The rest of the group was ahead of them, and Tetra had no doubt in her mind that the others could be  _well_ ahead if they weren't courteous enough to slow their pace.

Embrose had yet to awaken but was breathing steadily so she didn't worry. Like the other Lokomo she'd met so far, he, too, had oddly colored hair. She supposed red could be a natural color, but on Embrose it was so vibrant, almost resembling the fire that had been spewing from the volcano, that it couldn't be considered natural. He also sported the same circular pin that Anjean wore in her hair, though in his case it served as his belt buckle.

The most interesting items on him, that Tetra could see anyway, were the three drums fastened to his back. She could only assume they were his sacred instrument. Out of them all, they didn't seem so difficult to play, and Tetra was sorely tempted to try, to relieve her boredom if nothing else, but the sting in her palms reminded her that wasn't a good idea.

She glanced sidelong at Anjean. The girl still looked paler than normal, but she seemed to be breathing more deeply than before so she should be okay to heal some little scrapes, right? There was only one way to find out.

"Oi. Can you…?" She held out a scraped palm towards Anjean, implying that she should heal it.

"Of course!" Anjean repositioned herself, and Tetra did the same, holding her hands out. Anjean hovered her own palms over hers, a gentle lavender glow overtaking them. Tiny pinpricks of pain made her hands tingle, but they were quickly soothed by coolness.

When Anjean finished, Tetra inspected her palms, satisfied to find the skin smooth and unbroken. "That really is a useful trick you have."

Anjean nodded wistfully. "It is."

"Doesn't it ever tire you out?"

Anjean hummed in thought. "Sometimes. Not usually because most of the power comes from the spirits, not me. I have a strong connection with them, so I can see them, hear them, talk to them, and borrow their energy. For example –" She paused to giggle. "—Cybil keeps talking about you. She really likes you. She thinks you're amazing."

For some reason, Tetra was touched by that. She smiled and winked, stretching her arms above her head. "Well, I am. You can tell Cybil she's amazing for not letting me fall into lava."

Anjean laughed. "She can hear you. You just can't see or hear her."

"Oh." A thought struck her then. "What does she look like? Do spirits even have bodies?"

"Yes, they look like people. Cybil is a new soul," Anjean said, swinging her legs as the phantom marched. Tetra noted her eyes had turned purple. "She has darker skin like yours, but her hair is long and brown, and she has freckles on her cheeks. Her eyes are green, and she's wearing a white dress. Appearance-wise, she looks about ten."

Tetra frowned. "Why'd you pick a kid to help us fight?"

"She wanted to. New souls love to have new experiences. And besides, she hasn't been with me as long as some of the others. She joined me back at the burned down village and has stayed ever since. That's why I trusted her to help us."

"Wait, are you saying she…died in that village we found you at?"

"Her vessel did."

Suddenly Tetra was angry with Anjean all over again because when it came down to it, Cybil was a dead little girl, and Anjean didn't seem to care at all. Dead or alive, Anjean could still communicate with them so what was the difference?

"Did…I say something wrong?" Anjean wondered, trying to catch Tetra's eye. Tetra refused to make eye contact with her and focused on her dangling legs.

"You're so…" Tetra struggled to find a word before finally settling on one. " _Infuriating_! You talk about dead people like it's nothing! Like it doesn't even matter they're dead! Don't you get that dead little girls like Cybil don't  _get_  to grow up?"

"But she will," Anjean protested weakly, taken aback by the fierceness in Tetra's tone. "When she reincarnates—"

"That doesn't count!" Tetra shouted, her fury filled eyes meeting Anjean's shocked ones.

"Why not?"

"How did you know her name was Cybil?" Tetra demanded.

"I—because she told me," Anjean said.

"Exactly. That's her name  _now_. That's the name her parents gave her, but she'll get a new one if she "reincarnates" like you insist she will. She won't be Cybil anymore! Cybil will never be able to grow up. Cybil will always be a dead little girl."

The purple drained from Anjean's eyes, leaving dull brown behind.

Tetra turned away from her then, sliding to the left edge of the shield as far as she could to put as much distance between her and Anjean as possible. Neither of them spoke again until Embrose began to stir and even then it wasn't to each other.

Embrose wasn't too different from the other guardians in how grateful he was to them all for saving him. He was also like the others in that he worried about those in his realm, in this case the Gorons. Tetra seriously doubted the Gorons were in any danger. The lava, though steadily creeping down the mountain, could not harm beings of rock any more than it could harm the mountain. Even so, Embrose insisted they head for the Goron Village instead so he and Anjean could play a sacred duet and cast a protection spell around the area.

They changed their course without further discussion, Embrose eventually slipping off the phantom to walk on his own two feet. Anjean and Tetra remained seated on the shield.

It was from this viewpoint that Tetra was able to see Goron Village at the base of the mountain, though she wouldn't have known it if Anjean hadn't said anything. The town appeared to be nothing but rocks and cliffside. Considering the inhabitants, Tetra supposed she shouldn't be surprised.

However, she was thoroughly surprised when Anjean spoke next. "I'm sorry, Tetra."

She glanced at Anjean to find the girl's intense brown eyes focused on her. Tetra said nothing.

Prompted by her silence, Anjean continued, "About Cybil. About what I said. I just…I never thought of it like that because–"

A rumble of thunder cut her off, and Tetra's eyes flew to the sky. It was still rather smoky and grey from the eruption, but there were breaks in the clouds where blue sky peeped through. Not a storm. It couldn't be.

"What is that?" Link's tone drew her attention to where he was looking. She was equally dumbfounded. It could have been smoke except it was too contained, too black to even be ash.

"It feels dark," Midna said, eyeing the mass of writhing black clouds uneasily. Dark was an understatement.

"Get back," Embrose cautioned, throwing a hand out to encourage them to keep their distance. "It's-"

The rumble intensified, then, morphing into a harsh roar akin to the angry ocean as something broke out of the blackness.

Her heart dropped to her feet when the darkness cleared to reveal a face. An all too familiar face. A face that had plagued her nightmares for a year.

Ganondorf.

But it wasn't. There were differences. The facial structure was the same, yes, but the blood red nose was new. So was the teal smoke acting as eyebrows above the glaring golden eyes.

She was so focused on the face that it took a moment for her to register the rest of the monster that was crawling out of the sky. It was well armored, like a phantom, and extremely long with countless wheels along its base, all spinning. It took her a moment, but she realized that she knew what it was. She'd seen a drawing, though nothing could have prepared her for the terror of being in the presence of the real abomination.

The Demon Train.

And on it…

A woman strolled into view atop the creature's head and peered down her nose at them. "Need a little help getting down?"

No one had a chance to respond before the Demon Train charged. What had been so far away a second ago was now dangerously close, ready to crush them.

"Down!" Embrose shouted, hitting the floor as he did so. Everyone else followed suit, Tetra and Anjean having to do some extra scrambling since they were still held aloft by the phantom.

Tetra hopped off, Anjean right behind her.

"Tilly, go!" Anjean cried, ducking. Tetra looked back just in time to see the phantom's glowing eyes extinguish. Anjean waved her hand, sending the phantom away mere seconds before the Demon Train that would have knocked it over arrived.

Her hair stood on end as the monster passed overhead, the grinding of its wheels making her cringe and pray her hair didn't get caught. It was certainly close enough.

She waited one heartbeat, two, before daring to raise her head. When she did, she found her companions being equally cautious.

Except for Anjean, that is. "Vivi!"

"Don't waste your breath!" Embrose interjected, shooting to his feet and grabbing Anjean by the arm. "She's not going to listen. Help me cast a protection spell around us. Now!"

Anjean shook him off, stepping past him so she could clearly see the idling Demon Train and the traitor Lokomo atop it. Her eyes were glowing purple. No doubt she was viewing Vivian's soul. By her expression, she didn't like what she saw.

"Oh, Anjean…" Vivian shook her head, a bitter smile splitting her lips. "I should've known it was you undoing all my hard work. You always were naïve. If only you'd do what you're told."

"Vivi, please!" Anjean begged. "Help me understand. Why are you doing this? I know you're not possessed. So…why?"

"I have no choice."

"Everyone has a choice!" Anjean cried. "We work with the Spirits of Good, remember? We're good. We keep out the bad ones."

"Enough." Even from afar, Tetra could clearly see the golden fire that lit up the other Lokomo's eyes.

"Anjean, now!" Embrose bellowed. The Lokomo girl glanced between Vivian and Embrose, torn.

Tetra made the decision for her. "Play the stupid song and protect us! Do you want her to possess your friend again?!"

Anjean ducked her head at that and picked up her pan flute. Embrose had already readied his drums.

"Everyone huddle close," Embrose ordered as he and Anjean began the song. Though she wasn't one to typically follow orders, Tetra followed this one along with Link, Zelda, Kid, and Midna.

Perhaps it was the tense atmosphere but the melody sounded haunting with the bass tones of Embrose's drums, and Tetra couldn't help but look back at the Demon Train.

It was difficult to believe that Vivian was a Lokomo guardian just like Anjean and the rest. Not because she was doing very un-guardian like things at the moment, but because her hair wasn't some outrageous color. It was plain black and tied up in a spiky fan atop her head, two strands framing the front of her face. Like the others, she had a color palette, but it was more colorful than Tetra would have expected, dark purple, blue, red, and jade green.

Her attention quickly shifted to what the woman was doing as a pulsing orb of darkness appeared in her hand. The orb grew larger and began to unfold, turning into something Tetra recognized by now. An evil spirit.

"Kid, shoot her with a light arrow!" Tetra commanded. She would have done it herself if she had any magic left. Alas, she did not.

The Hero of Winds swiftly nocked a shining arrow, taking a moment to line up his shot before firing at Vivian.

The Lokomo woman sidestepped to avoid the sacred light, her expression hard and unimpressed as she launched her own attack. The evil spirit leapt from her hand, seeming to grow larger and more malicious as it approached. Black mist drained from Vivian's fingertips and twisted, trailing behind the dark mass like the tail of a shooting star.

Anjean happened to notice the perilous situation at that moment, and her concentration shattered. The note she'd been holding faltered, ruining the song and dismantling the beginnings of the shining barrier.

"Vivi, stop!" Anjean pleaded.

"Forget her!" Embrose ordered. "Play."

But Anjean didn't. She was too focused on the evil spirit barreling towards them.

"Play; we'll protect you," Kid said, pulling back another light arrow and loosing it. The mass of black mist doubled back on itself immediately, hissing like a cat as the light of the arrow disintegrated its tail.

This display, coupled with more of Embrose's yelling, encouraged Anjean to raise the pan flute to her lips again.

A flicker of light turned Tetra's attention to her counterpart. She had summoned her bow of light and was readying an arrow. Link had taken out his bow as well but the ordinary arrow he fired passed harmlessly through the spirit. He couldn't touch it. Only the light arrows had any hope of keeping it at bay.

With minimal conversation, everyone resituated themselves accordingly. Kid and Princess Zelda took up a defensive position in front of the two Lokomo while Tetra, Midna, and Link retreated behind them. The three could do absolutely nothing to help. Though Midna may have been able to do something, no one wanted to risk her shadow magic making the situation worse, so she was stuck being useless with Tetra and Link.

She watched with nerves churning as her counterpart and Kid –who had traded his bow for the Master Sword after expending the last of his magic on the previous arrow– released light arrows and waves of blessed energy to keep the evil spirit at a respectable distance.

Dissatisfied with their resistance, Vivian disappeared and reappeared in front of Kid and Zelda, gleaming short sword in hand.

"Stop interfering!" Vivian ordered, raising her sword to strike Zelda. The princess had no choice but to twist out of the way and disengage her bow in favor of drawing her own blade.

Tetra's hand found her dagger, and both Link and Midna tensed beside her, sensing they could be of use. By the sounds of it, Anjean and Embrose were nearing the end of their performance. They just had to keep them safe for a while longer.

Tetra charged into the fray, dagger raised – only for a swift kick to the gut to send her flying. She hit the dirt, rough rock scraping every bit of exposed skin.

She gasped, choking on air and blinking back tears at the pain in her stomach. Sickness washed over her.

"Tetra!" Kid's cry snapped her head up to see her best friend had abandoned his position and was running towards her. "Are you okay?"

She swallowed back bile and struggled to her knees. "What… are you doing? Shouldn't you be helping Zelda?"

"Link and Midna have it," Kid said, holding out a hand to help her up.

She took it.

Glancing past Kid, Tetra found he was right. Link and Midna were helping Zelda fight off Vivian. Embrose and Anjean were still playing and-

"The spirit!" Tetra realized. No one was paying attention to it, and it had noticed.

Kid turned just in time to see what she did, the mass of darkness moving for the Guardian of the Fire Realm.

"Embrose!" Their unified scream alerted the Lokomo that something was wrong and the sacred duet sputtered and died for the second time.

Anjean darted out of range, but Embrose was weighed down by the drums in his lap and couldn't move nearly as quickly.

Kid thrust the Master Sword towards the sky to charge a Skyward Strike, and Tetra broke into a run. What she intended to do, she didn't know. Push Embrose out of the way, maybe? Even as her feet pounded the rock beneath her, she knew she wouldn't win the race to the Lokomo. She was too far away.

But Link was close. The Hero Chosen by the Gods jumped in front of Embrose and performed a diagonal slice. On any other enemy, it would have been effective. But this was a spirit. It had no physical body and as such, it couldn't be harmed by live steel.

The mass of black mist simply twirled around the blade and flooded Link's face. With a choked scream, he dropped his sword and sunk to his knees, clawing at the evil spirit. It broke apart at every touch, running through the gaps in his fingers like water in a stone-filled stream, and began to fade. A few seconds later it was completely gone, and the Hero of Twilight collapsed.

"Link!" Thudding footsteps behind her alerted her to the fact that Kid had abandoned his stance and was now sprinting to reach his counterpart.

Tetra was worried despite herself. Sure, Link was annoying sometimes—a lot of the time—but she didn't want him dead.

By the time the two of them skidded to a stop in front of their fallen friend, Embrose had freed himself from his drums, and Anjean had wandered closer.

As they tried to rouse Link, Vivian laughed. "Not who I was aiming for, but he'll do."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tetra demanded, taking her eyes off Link to glare at Vivian.

Anjean's gasp drew her attention back to her companions. "What?"

The Lokomo girl's eyes were bleeding purple, and Embrose's eyes were lit up in a similar manner, fiery red like burning embers.

Embrose shot to his feet. "Everyone get back!"

Link groaned and began to stir, making her and Kid reluctant to do as the sage said.

"Link?" Kid wondered, hand hovering over his counterpart's shoulder.

With excruciating slowness, the Hero of Twilight pushed himself to standing and raised his head.

His eyes were black.


End file.
